part6-第14章

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

of　the　people。



In　that　very　moment　when　we　might　very　well　say；　'Vain　was　the

help　of　man'；　…　I　say；　in　that　very　moment　it　pleased　God；　with　a　most

agreeable　surprise；　to　cause　the　fury　of　it　to　abate；　even　of　itself；　and

the　malignity　declining；　as　I　have　said；　though　infinite　numbers　were

sick；　yet　fewer　died；　and　the　very　first　weeks'　bill　decreased　1843；　a

vast　number　indeed！



It　is　impossible　to　express　the　change　that　appeared　in　the　very

countenances　of　the　people　that　Thursday　morning　when　the　weekly

bill　came　out。　　It　might　have　been　perceived　in　their　countenances　that

a　secret　surprise　and　smile　of　joy　sat　on　everybody's　face。　　They　shook

one　another　by　the　hands　in　the　streets；　who　would　hardly　go　on　the

same　side　of　the　way　with　one　another　before。　　Where　the　streets　were

not　too　broad　they　would　open　their　windows　and　call　from　one　house

to　another；　and　ask　how　they　did；　and　if　they　had　heard　the　good　news

that　the　plague　was　abated。　　Some　would　return；　when　they　said　good

news；　and　ask；　'What　good　news？'　and　when　they　answered　that　the

plague　was　abated　and　the　bills　decreased　almost　two　thousand；　they

would　cry　out；　'God　be　praised　I'　and　would　weep　aloud　for　joy；　telling

them　they　had　heard　nothing　of　it；　and　such　was　the　joy　of　the　people

that　it　was；　as　it　were；　life　to　them　from　the　grave。　　I　could　almost　set

down　as　many　extravagant　things　done　in　the　excess　of　their　joy　as　of

their　grief；　but　that　would　be　to　lessen　the　value　of　it。



I　must　confess　myself　to　have　been　very　much　dejected　just　before

this　happened；　for　the　prodigious　number　that　were　taken　sick　the

week　or　two　before；　besides　those　that　died；　was　such；　and　the

lamentations　were　so　great　everywhere；　that　a　man　must　have　seemed

to　have　acted　even　against　his　reason　if　he　had　so　much　as　expected　to

escape；　and　as　there　was　hardly　a　house　but　mine　in　all　my

neighbourhood　but　was　infected；　so　had　it　gone　on　it　would　not　have

been　long　that　there　would　have　been　any　more　neighbours　to　be

infected。　　Indeed　it　is　hardly　credible　what　dreadful　havoc　the　last

three　weeks　had　made；　for　if　I　might　believe　the　person　whose

calculations　I　always　found　very　well　grounded；　there　were　not　less

than　30；000　people　dead　and　near　100。000　fallen　sick　in　the　three

weeks　I　speak　of；　for　the　number　that　sickened　was　surprising；　indeed

it　was　astonishing；　and　those　whose　courage　upheld　them　all　the　time

before；　sank　under　it　now。



In　the　middle　of　their　distress；　when　the　condition　of　the　city　of

London　was　so　truly　calamitous；　just　then　it　pleased　God　…　as　it　were

by　His　immediate　hand　to　disarm　this　enemy；　the　poison　was　taken

out　of　the　sting。　　It　was　wonderful；　even　the　physicians　themselves

were　surprised　at　it。　　Wherever　they　visited　they　found　their　patients

better；　either　they　had　sweated　kindly；　or　the　tumours　were　broke；　or

the　carbuncles　went　down　and　the　inflammations　round　them　changed

colour；　or　the　fever　was　gone；　or　the　violent　headache　was　assuaged；

or　some　good　symptom　was　in　the　case；　so　that　in　a　few　days

everybody　was　recovering；　whole　families　that　were　infected　and

down；　that　had　ministers　praying　with　them；　and　expected　death　every

hour；　were　revived　and　healed；　and　none　died　at　all　out　of　them。



Nor　was　this　by　any　new　medicine　found　out；　or　new　method　of　cure

discovered；　or　by　any　experience　in　the　operation　which　the

physicians　or　surgeons　attained　to；　but　it　was　evidently　from　the　secret

invisible　hand　of　Him　that　had　at　first　sent　this　disease　as　a　judgement

upon　us；　and　let　the　atheistic　part　of　mankind　call　my　saying　what

they　please；　it　is　no　enthusiasm；　it　was　acknowledged　at　that　time　by

all　mankind。　　The　disease　was　enervated　and　its　malignity　spent；　and

let　it　proceed　from　whencesoever　it　will；　let　the　philosophers　search

for　reasons　in　nature　to　account　for　it　by；　and　labour　as　much　as　they

will　to　lessen　the　debt　they　owe　to　their　Maker；　those　physicians　who

had　the　least　share　of　religion　in　them　were　obliged　to　acknowledge

that　it　was　all　supernatural；　that　it　was　extraordinary；　and　that　no

account　could　be　given　of　it。



If　I　should　say　that　this　is　a　visible　summons　to　us　all　to

thankfulness；　especially　we　that　were　under　the　terror　of　its　increase；

perhaps　it　may　be　thought　by　some；　after　the　sense　of　the　thing　was

over；　an　officious　canting　of　religious　things；　preaching　a　sermon

instead　of　writing　a　history；　making　myself　a　teacher　instead　of　giving

my　observations　of　things；　and　this　restrains　me　very　much　from　going

on　here　as　I　might　otherwise　do。　　But　if　ten　lepers　Were　healed；　and

but　one　returned　to　give　thanks；　I　desire　to　be　as　that　one；　and　to　be

thankful　for　myself。



Nor　will　I　deny　but　there　were　abundance　of　people　who；　to　all　appearance；

were　very　thankful　at　that　time；　for　their　mouths　were　stopped；　even　the

mouths　of　those　whose　hearts　were　not　extraordinary　long　affected　with　it。

But　the　impression　was　so　strong　at　that　time　that　it　could　not　be　resisted；

no；　not　by　the　worst　of　the　people。



It　was　a　common　thing　to　meet　people　in　the　street　that　were

strangers；　and　that　we　knew　nothing　at　all　of；　expressing　their　surprise。

Going　one　day　through　Aldgate；　and　a　pretty　many　people　being

passing　and　repassing；　there　comes　a　man　out　of　the　end　of　the

Minories；　and　looking　a　little　up　the　street　and　down；　he　throws　his

hands　abroad；　'Lord；　what　an　alteration　is　here　I　Why；　last　week　I

came　along　here；　and　hardly　anybody　was　to　he　seen。'　Another　man　…　I

heard　him　…　adds　to　his　words；　〃Tis　all　wonderful；　'tis　all　a　dream。'

'Blessed　be　God；'　says　a　third　man；　d　and　let　us　give　thanks　to　Him；　for

'tis　all　His　own　doing；　human　help　and　human　skill　was　at　an　end。'

These　were　all　strangers　to　one　another。　　But　such　salutations　as　these

were　frequent　in　the　street　every　day；　and　in　spite　of　a　loose

behaviour；　the　very　common　people　went　along　the　streets　giving　God

thanks　for　their　deliverance。



It　was　now；　as　I　said　before；　the　people　had　cast　off　all

apprehensions；　and　that　too　fast；　indeed　we　were　no　more　afraid　now

to　pass　by　a　man　with　a　white　cap　upon　his　head；　or　with　a　doth　wrapt

round　his　neck；　or　with　his　leg　limping；　occasioned　by　the　sores　in　his

groin；　all　which　were　frightful　to　the　last　degree；　but　the　week　before。

But　now　the　street　was　full　of　them；　and　these　poor　recovering

creatures；　give　them　their　due；　appeared　very　sensible　of　their

unexpected　deliverance；　and　I　should　wrong　them　very　much　if　I

should　not　acknowledge　that　I　believe　many　of　them　were　really

thankful。　　But　I　must　own　that；　for　the　generality　of　the　people；　it

might　too　justly　be　said　of　them　as　was　said　of　the　children　of　Israel

after　their　being　delivered　from　the　host　of　Pharaoh；　when　they　passed

the　Red　Sea；　and　looked　back　and　saw　the　Egyptians　overwhelmed　in

the　water：　viz。；　that　they　sang　His　praise；　but　they　soon　forgot　His　works。



I　can　go　no　farther　here。　　I　should　be　counted　censorious；　and

perhaps　unjust；　if　I　should　enter　into　the　unpleasing　work　of　reflecting；

whatever　cause　there　was　for　it；　upon　the　unthankfulness　and　return　of

all　manner　of　wickedness　among　us；　which　I　was　so　much　an　eye…

witness　of　myself。　　I　shall　conclude　the　account　of　this　calamitous

year　therefore　with　a　coarse　but　sincere　stanza　of　my　own；　which　I

placed　at　the　end　of　my　ordinary　memorandums　the　same　year　they

were　written：　…



　　A　dreadful　plague　in　London　was

　　In　the　year　sixty…five；

　　Which　swept　an　hundred　thousand　souls

　　Away；　yet　I　alive！



　　H。　F。





　　　　

End