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第11章

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had predicted the plague as a judgement; and ran naked through the

streets; telling the people that it was come upon them to punish them

for their sins; had his own wife died the very next day of the plague;

and was carried; one of the first in the Quakers' dead…cart; to their new

burying…ground。



I might have thronged this account with many more remarkable

things which occurred in the time of the infection; and particularly

what passed between the Lord Mayor and the Court; which was then

at Oxford; and what directions were from time to time received from

the Government for their conduct on this critical occasion。 But really

the Court concerned themselves so little; and that little they did was of

so small import; that I do not see it of much moment to mention any

part of it here: except that of appointing a monthly fast in the city and

the sending the royal charity to the relief of the poor; both which I

have mentioned before。



Great was the reproach thrown on those physicians who left their

patients during the sickness; and now they came to town again nobody

cared to employ them。 They were called deserters; and frequently bills

were set up upon their doors and written; 'Here is a doctor to be let'; so

that several of those physicians were fain for a while to sit still and

look about them; or at least remove their dwellings; and set up in new

places and among new acquaintance。 The like was the case with the

clergy; whom the people were indeed very abusive to; writing verses

and scandalous reflections upon them; setting upon the church…door;

'Here is a pulpit to be let'; or sometimes; 'to be sold'; which was worse。



It was not the least of our misfortunes that with our infection; when

it ceased; there did not cease the spirit of strife and contention; slander

and reproach; which was really the great troubler of the nation's peace

before。 It was said to be the remains of the old animosities; which had

so lately involved us all in blood and disorder。 But as the late Act of

Indemnity had laid asleep the quarrel itself; so the Government had

recommended family and personal peace upon all occasions to the

whole nation。



But it could not be obtained; and particularly after the ceasing of the

plague in London; when any one that had seen the condition which the

people had been in; and how they caressed one another at that time;

promised to have more charity for the future; and to raise no more

reproaches; I say; any one that had seen them then would have thought

they would have come together with another spirit at last。 But; I say;

it could not be obtained。 The quarrel remained; the Church and the

Presbyterians were incompatible。 As soon as the plague was removed;

the Dissenting ousted ministers who had supplied the pulpits which

were deserted by the incumbents retired; they could expect no other

but that they should immediately fall upon them and harass them with

their penal laws; accept their preaching while they were sick; and

persecute them as soon as they were recovered again; this even we

that were of the Church thought was very hard; and could by no means

approve of it。



But it was the Government; and we could say nothing to hinder it;

we could only say it was not our doing; and we could not answer for it。



On the other hand; the Dissenters reproaching those ministers of the

Church with going away and deserting their charge; abandoning the

people in their danger; and when they had most need of comfort; and

the like: this we could by no means approve; for all men have not the

same faith and the same courage; and the Scripture commands us to

judge the most favourably and according to charity。



A plague is a formidable enemy; and is armed with terrors that every

man is not sufficiently fortified to resist or prepared to stand the shock

against。 It is very certain that a great many of the clergy who were in

circumstances to do it withdrew and fled for the safety of their lives;

but 'tis true also that a great many of them stayed; and many of them

fell in the calamity and in the discharge of their duty。



It is true some of the Dissenting turned…out ministers stayed; and

their courage is to be commended and highly valued … but these were

not abundance; it cannot be said that they all stayed; and that none

retired into the country; any more than it can be said of the Church

clergy that they all went away。 Neither did all those that went away go

without substituting curates and others in their places; to do the

offices needful and to visit the sick; as far as it was practicable; so

that; upon the whole; an allowance of charity might have been made

on both sides; and we should have considered that such a time as this

of 1665 is not to be paralleled in history; and that it is not the stoutest

courage that will always support men in such cases。  I had not said

this; but had rather chosen to record the courage and religious zeal of

those of both sides; who did hazard themselves for the service of the

poor people in their distress; without remembering that any failed in

their duty on either side。  But the want of temper among us has made

the contrary to this necessary: some that stayed not only boasting too

much of themselves; but reviling those that fled; branding them with

cowardice; deserting their flocks; and acting the part of the hireling;

and the like。  I recommend it to the charity of all good people to look

back and reflect duly upon the terrors of the time; and whoever does

so well see that it is not an ordinary strength that could support it。  It

was not like appearing in the head of an army or charging a body of

horse in the field; but it was charging Death itself on his pale horse; to

stay was indeed to die; and it could be esteemed nothing less;

especially as things appeared at the latter end of August and the

beginning of September; and as there was reason to expect them at

that time; for no man expected; and I dare say believed; that the

distemper would take so sudden a turn as it did; and fall immediately

two thousand in a week; when there was such a prodigious number of

people sick at that time as it was known there was; and then it was

that many shifted away that had stayed most of the time before。



Besides; if God gave strength to some more than to others; was it to

boast of their ability to abide the stroke; and upbraid those that had

not the same gift and support; or ought not they rather to have been

humble and thankful if they were rendered more useful than their

brethren?



I think it ought to be recorded to the honour of such men; as well

clergy as physicians; surgeons; apothecaries; magistrates; and officers

of every kind; as also all useful people who ventured their lives in

discharge of their duty; as most certainly all such as stayed did to the

last degree; and several of all these kinds did not only venture but lose

their lives on that sad occasion。



I was once making a list of all such; I mean of all those professions

and employments who thus died; as I call it; in the way of their duty;

but it was impossible for a private man to come at a certainty in the

particulars。  I only remember that there died sixteen clergymen; two

aldermen; five physicians; thirteen surgeons; within the city and

liberties before the beginning of September。  But this being; as I said

before; the great crisis and extremity of the infection; it can be no

complete list。  As to inferior people; I think there died six…and…forty

constables and head…boroughs in the two parishes of Stepney and

Whitechappel; but I could not carry my list oil; for when the violent

rage of the distemper in September came upon us; it drove us out of

all measures。  Men did then no more (lie by tale and by number。  They

might put out a weekly bill; and call them seven or eight thousand; or

what they pleased; 'tis certain they died by heaps; and were buried by

heaps; that is to say; without a

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