part6-第7章

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heat　already　in　the　blood；　that　it　was　known　to　spread　and　increase　in

hot　weather　and　abate　in　cold；　and　therefore　they　alleged　that　all

contagious　distempers　are　the　worse　for　heat；　because　the　contagion

was　nourished　and　gained　strength　in　hot　weather；　and　was；　as　it　were；

propagated　in　heat。



Others　said　they　granted　that　heat　in　the　climate　might　propagate

infection　…　as　sultry；　hot　weather　fills　the　air　with　vermin　and

nourishes　innumerable　numbers　and　kinds　of　venomous　creatures

which　breed　in　our　food；　in　the　plants；　and　even　in　our　bodies；　by　the

very　stench　of　which　infection　may　be　propagated；　also　that　heat　in

the　air；　or　heat　of　weather；　as　we　ordinarily　call　it；　makes　bodies　relax

and　faint；　exhausts　the　spirits；　opens　the　pores；　and　makes　us　more　apt

to　receive　infection；　or　any　evil　influence；　be　it　from　noxious

pestilential　vapours　or　any　other　thing　in　the　air；　but　that　the　heat　of

fire；　and　especially　of　coal　fires　kept　in　our　houses；　or　near　us；　had　a

quite　different　operation；　the　heat　being　not　of　the　same　kind；　but

quick　and　fierce；　tending　not　to　nourish　but　to　consume　and　dissipate

all　those　noxious　fumes　which　the　other　kind　of　heat　rather　exhaled

and　stagnated　than　separated　and　burnt　up。　　Besides；　it　was　alleged

that　the　sulphurous　and　nitrous　particles　that　are　often　found　to　be　in

the　coal；　with　that　bituminous　substance　which　burns；　are　all　assisting

to　clear　and　purge　the　air；　and　render　it　wholesome　and　safe　to　breathe

in　after　the　noxious　particles；　as　above；　are　dispersed　and　burnt　up。



The　latter　opinion　prevailed　at　that　time；　and；　as　I　must　confess；　I

think　with　good　reason；　and　the　experience　of　the　citizens　confirmed

it；　many　houses　which　had　constant　fires　kept　in　the　rooms　having

never　been　infected　at　all；　and　I　must　join　my　experience　to　it；　for　I

found　the　keeping　good　fires　kept　our　rooms　sweet　and　wholesome；

and　I　do　verily　believe　made　our　whole　family　so；　more　than　would

otherwise　have　been。



But　I　return　to　the　coals　as　a　trade。　　It　was　with　no　little　difficulty

that　this　trade　was　kept　open；　and　particularly　because；　as　we　were　in　an

open　war　with　I　the　Dutch　at　that　time；　the　Dutch　capers　at　first　took　a

great　many　of　our　collier…ships；　which　made　the　rest　cautious；　and

made　them　to　stay　to　come　in　fleets　together。　　But　after　some　time　the

capers　were　either　afraid　to　take　them；　or　their　masters；　the　States；

were　afraid　they　should；　and　forbade　them；　lest　the　plague　should　be

among　them；　which　made　them　fare　the　better。



For　the　security　of　those　northern　traders；　the　coal…ships　were

ordered　by　my　Lord　Mayor　not　to　come　up　into　the　Pool　above　a

certain　number　at　a　time；　and　ordered　lighters　and　other　vessels　such

as　the　woodmongers　（that　is；　the　wharf…keepers　or　coal…sellers）

furnished；　to　go　down　and　take　out　the　coals　as　low　as　Deptford　and

Greenwich；　and　some　farther　down。



Others　delivered　great　quantities　of　coals　in　particular　places　where

the　ships　could　come　to　the　shore；　as　at　Greenwich；　Blackwall；　and

other　places；　in　vast　heaps；　as　if　to　be　kept　for　sale；　but　were　then

fetched　away　after　the　ships　which　brought　them　were　gone；　so　that

the　seamen　had　no　communication　with　the　river…men；　nor　so　much　as

came　near　one　another。



Yet　all　this　caution　could　not　effectually　prevent　the　distemper

getting　among　the　colliery：　that　is　to　say　among　the　ships；　by　which　a

great　many　seamen　died　of　it；　and　that　which　was　still　worse　was；　that

they　carried　it　down　to　Ipswich　and　Yarmouth；　to　Newcastle…upon…

Tyne；　and　other　places　on　the　coast　…　where；　especially　at　Newcastle

and　at　Sunderland；　it　carried　off　a　great

number　of　people。



The　making　so　many　fires；　as　above；　did　indeed　consume　an　unusual

quantity　of　coals；　and　that　upon　one　or　two　stops　of　the　ships　coming

up；　whether　by　contrary　weather　or　by　the　interruption　of　enemies　I　do

not　remember；　but　the　price　of　coals　was　exceeding　dear；　even　as　high

as　4　a　chalder；　but　it　soon　abated　when　the　ships　came　in；　and　as

afterwards　they　had　a　freer　passage；　the　price　was　very　reasonable　all

the　rest　of　that　year。



The　public　fires　which　were　made　on　these　occasions；　as　I　have

calculated　it；　must　necessarily　have　cost　the　city　about　200　chalders　of

coals　a　week；　if　they　had　continued；　which　was　indeed　a　very　great　quantity；

but　as　it　was　thought　necessary；　nothing　was　spared。　　However；　as　some　of

the　physicians　cried　them　down；　they　were　not　kept　alight　above　four　or

five　days。　　The　fires　were　ordered　thus：　…





One　at　the　Custom　House；　one　at　Billingsgate；　one　at　Queenhith；

and　one　at　the　Three　Cranes；　one　in　Blackfriars；　and　one　at　the　gate　of

Bridewell；　one　at　the　corner　of　Leadenhal　Street　and　Gracechurch；

one　at　the　north　and　one　at　the　south　gate　of　the　Royal　Exchange；　one

at　Guild　Hall；　and　one　at　Blackwell　Hall　gate；　one　at　the　Lord　Mayor's

door　in　St　Helen's；　one　at　the　west　entrance　into　St　Paul's；　and　one　at

the　entrance　into　Bow　Church。　　I　do　not　remember　whether　there　was

any　at　the　city　gates；　but　one　at　the　Bridge…foot　there　was；　just　by　St

Magnus　Church。



I　know　some　have　quarrelled　since　that　at　the　experiment；　and　said

that　there　died　the　more　people　because　of　those　fires；　but　I　am

persuaded　those　that　say　so　offer　no　evidence　to　prove　it；　neither　can　I

believe　it　on　any　account　whatever。



It　remains　to　give　some　account　of　the　state　of　trade　at　home　in

England　during　this　dreadful　time；　and　particularly　as　it　relates　to　the

manufactures　and　the　trade　in　the　city。　　At　the　first　breaking　out　of　the

infection　there　was；　as　it　is　easy　to　suppose；　a　very　great　fright　among

the　people；　and　consequently　a　general　stop　of　trade；　except　in

provisions　and　necessaries　of　life；　and　even　in　those　things；　as　there

was　a　vast　number　of　people　fled　and　a　very　great　number　always　sick；

besides　the　number　which　died；　so　there　could　not　be　above　two…

thirds；　if　above　one…half；　of　the　consumption　of　provisions　in　the　city

as　used　to　be。



It　pleased　God　to　send　a　very　plentiful　year　of　corn　and　fruit；　but　not

of　hay　or　grass　…　by　which　means　bread　was　cheap；　by　reason　of　the

plenty　of　corn。　　Flesh　was　cheap；　by　reason　of　the　scarcity　of　grass；

but　butter　and　cheese　were　dear　for　the　same　reason；　and　hay　in　the

market　just　beyond　Whitechappel　Bars　was　sold　at　4　pound　per　load。

But　that　affected　not　the　poor。　　There　was　a　most　excessive　plenty

of　all　sorts　of　fruit；　such　as　apples；　pears；　plums；　cherries；　grapes；

and　they　were　the　cheaper　because　of　the　want　of　people；　but　this

made　the　poor　eat　them　to　excess；　and　this　brought　them　into　fluxes；

griping　of　the　guts；　surfeits；　and　the　like；　which　often　precipitated

them　into　the　plague。



But　to　come　to　matters　of　trade。　　First；　foreign　exportation　being

stopped　or　at　least　very　much　interrupted　and　rendered　difficult；　a

general　stop　of　all　those　manufactures　followed　of　course　which　were

usually　brought　for　exportation；　and　though　sometimes　merchants

abroad　were　importunate　for　goods；　yet　little　was　sent；　the　passages

being　so　generally　stopped　that　the　English　ships　would　not　be

admitted；　as　is　said　already；　into　their　port。



This　put　a　stop　to　the　manufactures　that　were　for　exportation　in　most

parts　of　England；　except　in　some　out…ports；　and　even　that　was　soon

stopped；　for　they　all　had　the　plague　in　their　turn。　　But　though　this　was

felt　all　over　England；　yet；　what　was　still　worse；　all　intercourse　of　trade

for　home　consumption　of　manufactures；　especially　those　which

usually　circulated　through　the　Londoner's　hands；　was　stopped　at　once；

the　trade　of　the　city　being　stopped。



All　kinds　of　handicrafts　in　the　city；　&c。；　tradesmen　and　mechanics；

were；　as　I　have　said　before；　out　of　employ；　and　this　occasioned　the

putting…off　and　dismissing　an　innumerable　number　of　journeymen　and

workmen　of　all　sorts；　seeing　nothing　was　done　relating　to　such　trades

but　what　might　be　said　to　be　absolutely　necessar