part6-第13章

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respect　to　their　prophetic　spirits；　at　least　we　should　have　wondered　at

them；　and　have　been　more　serious　in　our　inquiries　after　the　meaning

of　it；　and　whence　they　had　the　foreknowledge。　　But　as　they　generally

told　us　of　a　relapse　into　the　plague；　we　have　had　no　concern　since　that

about　them；　yet　by　those　frequent　clamours；　we　were　all　kept　with

some　kind　of　apprehensions　constantly　upon　us；　and　if　any　died

suddenly；　or　if　the　spotted　fevers　at　any　time　increased；　we　were

presently　alarmed；　much　more　if　the　number　of　the　plague　increased；

for　to　the　end　of　the　year　there　were　always　between　200　and　300　of

the　plague。　　On　any　of　these　occasions；　I　say；　we　were　alarmed　anew。



Those　who　remember　the　city　of　London　before　the　fire　must

remember　that　there　was　then　no　such　place　as　we　now　call　Newgate

Market；　but　that　in　the　middle　of　the　street　which　is　now　called　Blow…

bladder　Street；　and　which　had　its　name　from　the　butchers；　who　used　to

kill　and　dress　their　sheep　there　（and　who；　it　seems；　had　a　custom　to

blow　up　their　meat　with　pipes　to　make　it　look　thicker　and　fatter　than　it

was；　and　were　punished　there　for　it　by　the　Lord　Mayor）；　I　say；　from

the　end　of　the　street　towards　Newgate　there　stood　two　long　rows　of

shambles　for　the　selling　meat。



It　was　in　those　shambles　that　two　persons　falling　down　dead；　as　they

were　buying　meat；　gave　rise　to　a　rumour　that　the　meat　was　all

infected；　which；　though　it　might　affright　the　people；　and　spoiled　the

market　for　two　or　three　days；　yet　it　appeared　plainly　afterwards　that

there　was　nothing　of　truth　in　the　suggestion。　　But　nobody　can　account

for　the　possession　of　fear　when　it　takes　hold　of　the　mind。



However；　it　Pleased　God；　by　the　continuing　of　the　winter　weather；

so　to　restore　the　health　of　the　city　that　by　February　following　we

reckoned　the　distemper　quite　ceased；　and　then　we　were　not　so　easily

frighted　again。



There　was　still　a　question　among　the　learned；　and　at　first　perplexed

the　people　a　little：　and　that　was　in　what　manner　to　purge　the　house　and

goods　where　the　plague　had　been；　and　how　to　render　them　habitable

again；　which　had　been　left　empty　during　the　time　of　the　plague。

Abundance…　of　perfumes　and　preparations　were　prescribed　by

physicians；　some　of　one　kind　and　some　of　another；　in　which　the

people　who　listened　to　them　put　themselves　to　a　great；　and　indeed；　in

my　opinion；　to　an　unnecessary　expense；　and　the　poorer　people；　who

only　set　open　their　windows　night　and　day；　burned　brimstone；　pitch；

and　gunpowder；　and　such　things　in　their　rooms；　did　as　well　as　the

best；　nay；　the　eager　people　who；　as　I　said　above；　came　home　in　haste

and　at　all　hazards；　found　little　or　no　inconvenience　in　their　houses；　nor

in　the　goods；　and　did　little　or　nothing　to　them。



However；　in　general；　prudent；　cautious　people　did　enter　into　some

measures　for　airing　and　sweetening　their　houses；　and　burned

perfumes；　incense；　benjamin；　rozin；　and　sulphur　in　their　rooms　close

shut　up；　and　then　let　the　air　carry　it　all　out　with　a　blast　of　gunpowder；

others　caused　large　fires　to　be　made　all　day　and　all　night　for　several

days　and　nights；　by　the　same　token　that　two　or　three　were　pleased　to

set　their　houses　on　fire；　and　so　effectually　sweetened　them　by　burning

them　down　to　the　ground；　as　particularly　one　at　Ratcliff；　one　in

Holbourn；　and　one　at　Westminster；　besides　two　or　three　that　were　set

on　fire；　but　the　fire　was　happily　got　out　again　before　it　went　far

enough　to　bum　down　the　houses；　and　one　citizen's　servant；　I　think　it

was　in　Thames　Street；　carried　so　much　gunpowder　into　his　master's

house；　for　clearing　it　of　the　infection；　and　managed　it　so　foolishly；　that

he　blew　up　part　of　the　roof　of　the　house。　　But　the　time　was　not　fully

come　that　the　city　was　to　he　purged　by　fire；　nor　was　it　far　off；　for

within　nine　months　more　I　saw　it　all　lying　in　ashes；　when；　as　some　of

our　quacking　philosophers　pretend；　the　seeds　of　the　plague　were

entirely　destroyed；　and　not　before；　a　notion　too　ridiculous　to　speak　of

here：　since；　had　the　seeds　of　the　plague　remained　in　the　houses；　not　to

be　destroyed　but　by　fire；　how　has　it　been　that　they　have　not　since

broken　out；　seeing　all　those　buildings　in　the　suburbs　and　liberties；　all

in　the　great　parishes　of　Stepney；　Whitechappel；　Aldgate；　Bishopsgate；

Shoreditch；　Cripplegate；　and　St　Giles；　where　the　fire　never　came；　and

where　the　plague　raged　with　the　greatest　violence；　remain　still　in　the

same　condition　they　were　in　before？



But　to　leave　these　things　just　as　I　found　them；　it　was　certain　that

those　people　who　were　more　than　ordinarily　cautious　of　their　health；

did　take　particular　directions　for　what　they　called　seasoning　of　their

houses；　and　abundance　of　costly　things　were　consumed　on　that

account　which　I　cannot　but　say　not　only　seasoned　those　houses；　as

they　desired；　but　filled　the　air　with　very　grateful　and　wholesome

smells　which　others　had　the　share　of　the　benefit　of　as　well　as　those

who　were　at　the　expenses　of　them。



And　yet　after　all；　though　the　poor　came　to　town　very　precipitantly；

as　I　have　said；　yet　I　must　say　the　rich　made　no　such　haste。　　The　men　of

business；　indeed；　came　up；　but　many　of　them　did　not　bring　their

families　to　town　till　the　spring　came　on；　and　that　they　saw　reason　to

depend　upon　it　that　the　plague　would　not　return。



The　Court；　indeed；　came　up　soon　after　Christmas；　but　the　nobility

and　gentry；　except　such　as　depended　upon　and　had　employment　under

the　administration；　did　not　come　so　soon。



I　should　have　taken　notice　here　that；　notwithstanding　the　violence　of

the　plague　in　London　and　in　other　places；　yet　it　was　very　observable

that　it　was　never　on　board　the　fleet；　and　yet　for　some　time　there　was　a

strange　press　in　the　river；　and　even　in　the　streets；　for　seamen　to　man

the　fleet。　　But　it　was　in　the　beginning　of　the　year；　when　the　plague　was

scarce　begun；　and　not　at　all　come　down　to　that　part　of　the　city　where

they　usually　press　for　seamen；　and　though　a　war　with　the　Dutch　was

not　at　all　grateful　to　the　people　at　that　time；　and　the　seamen　went　with

a　kind　of　reluctancy　into　the　service；　and　many　complained　of　being

dragged　into　it　by　force；　yet　it　proved　in　the　event　a　happy　violence　to

several　of　them；　who　had　probably　perished　in　the　general　calamity；

and　who；　after　the　summer　service　was　over；　though　they　had　cause　to

lament　the　desolation　of　their　families　…　who；　when　they　came　back；

were　many　of　them　in　their　graves　…　yet　they　had　room　to　be　thankful

that　they　were　carried　out　of　the　reach　of　it；　though　so　much　against

their　wills。　　We　indeed　had　a　hot　war　with　the　Dutch　that　year；　and

one　very　great　engagement　at　sea　in　which　the　Dutch　were　worsted；

but　we　lost　a　great　many　men　and　some　ships。　　But；　as　I　observed；　the

plague　was　not　in　the　fleet；　and　when　they　came　to　lay　up　the　ships　in

the　river　the　violent　part　of　it　began　to　abate。



I　would　be　glad　if　I　could　close　the　account　of　this　melancholy　year

with　some　particular　examples　historically；　I　mean　of　the　thankfulness

to　God；　our　preserver；　for　our　being　delivered　from　this　dreadful

calamity。　　Certainly　the　circumstance　of　the　deliverance；　as　well　as　the

terrible　enemy　we　were　delivered　from；　called　upon　the　whole　nation

for　it。　　The　circumstances　of　the　deliverance　were　indeed　very

remarkable；　as　I　have　in　part　mentioned　already；　and　particularly　the

dreadful　condition　which　we　were　all　in　when　we　were　to　the　surprise

of　the　whole　town　made　joyful　with　the　hope　of　a　stop　of　the　infection。



Nothing　but　the　immediate　finger　of　God；　nothing　but　omnipotent

power；　could　have　done　it。　　The　contagion　despised　all　medicine；

death　raged　in　every　corner；　and　had　it　gone　on　as　it　did　then；　a　few

weeks　more　would　have　cleared　the　town　of　all；　and　everything　that

had　a　soul。　　Men　everywhere　began　to　despair；　every　heart　failed　them

for　fear；　people　were　made　desperate　through　the　anguish　of　their

souls；　and　the　terrors　of　death　sat　in　the　very　faces　and　countenances