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in　venturing　to　run　into　the　reach　of　it。



Nor　did　this　unwary　conduct　of　the　people　end　here；　for　a　great

many　that　thus　cast　off　their　cautions　suffered　more　deeply　still；　and

though　many　escaped；　yet　many　died；　and　at　least　it　had　this　public

mischief　attending　it；　that　it　made　the　decrease　of　burials　slower　than

it　would　otherwise　have　been。　　For　as　this　notion　ran　like　lightning

through　the　city；　and　people's　heads　were　possessed　with　it；　even　as

soon　as　the　first　great　decrease　in　the　bills　appeared；　we　found　that　the

two　next　bills　did　not　decrease　in　proportion；　the　reason　I　take　to　be

the　people's　running　so　rashly　into　danger；　giving　up　all　their　former

cautions　and　care；　and　all　the　shyness　which　they　used　to　practise；

depending　that　the　sickness　would　not　reach　them　…　or　that　if　it　did；

they　should　not　die。



The　physicians　opposed　this　thoughtless　humour　of　the　people　with

all　their　might；　and　gave　out　printed　directions；　spreading　them　all

over　the　city　and　suburbs；　advising　the　people　to　continue　reserved；

and　to　use　still　the　utmost　caution　in　their　ordinary　conduct；

notwithstanding　the　decrease　of　the　distemper；　terrifying　them　with

the　danger　of　bringing　a　relapse　upon　the　whole　city；　and　telling　them

how　such　a　relapse　might　be　more　fatal　and　dangerous　than　the　whole

visitation　that　had　been　already；　with　many　arguments　and　reasons　to

explain　and　prove　that　part　to　them；　and　which　are　too　long　to　repeat　here。



But　it　was　all　to　no　purpose；　the　audacious　creatures　were　so

possessed　with　the　first　joy　and　so　surprised　with　the　satisfaction　of

seeing　a　vast　decrease　in　the　weekly　bills；　that　they　were　impenetrable

by　any　new　terrors；　and　would　not　be　persuaded　but　that　the　bitterness

of　death　was　past；　and　it　was　to　no　more　purpose　to　talk　to　them　than

to　an　east　wind；　but　they　opened　shops；　went　about　streets；　did

business；　and　conversed　with　anybody　that　came　in　their　way　to

converse　with；　whether　with　business　or　without；　neither　inquiring　of

their　health　or　so　much　as　being　apprehensive　of　any　danger　from

them；　though　they　knew　them　not　to　be　sound。



This　imprudent；　rash　conduct　cost　a　great　many　their　lives　who　had

with　great　care　and　caution　shut　themselves　up　and　kept　retired；　as　it

were；　from　all　mankind；　and　had　by　that　means；　under　God's

providence；　been　preserved　through　all　the　heat　of　that　infection。



This　rash　and　foolish　conduct；　I　say；　of　the　people　went　so　far　that

the　ministers　took　notice　to　them　of　it　at　last；　and　laid　before　them

both　the　folly　and　danger　of　it；　and　this　checked　it　a　little；　so　that　they

grew　more　cautious。　　But　it　had　another　effect；　which　they　could　not

check；　for　as　the　first　rumour　had　spread　not　over　the　city　only；　but

into　the　country；　it　had　the　like　effect：　and　the　people　were　so　tired

with　being　so　long　from　London；　and　so　eager　to　come　back；　that　they

flocked　to　town　without　fear　or　forecast；　and　began　to　show

themselves　in　the　streets　as　if　all　the　danger　was　over。　　It　was　indeed

surprising　to　see　it；　for　though　there　died　still　from　1000　to　1800　a

week；　yet　the　people　flocked　to　town　as　if　all　had　been　well。



The　consequence　of　this　was；　that　the　bills　increased　again　400　the

very　first　week　in　November；　and　if　I　might　believe　the　physicians；

there　was　above　3000　fell　sick　that　week；　most　of　them　new…comers；　too。



One　John　Cock；　a　barber　in　St　Martin's…le…Grand；　was　an　eminent

example　of　this；　I　mean　of　the　hasty　return　of　the　people　when　the

plague　was　abated。　　This　John　Cock　had　left　the　town　with　his　whole

family；　and　locked　up　his　house；　and　was　gone　in　the　country；　as　many

others　did；　and　finding　the　plague　so　decreased　in　November　that

there　died　but　905　per　week　of　all　diseases；　he　ventured　home　again。

He　had　in　his　family　ten　persons；　that　is　to　say；　himself　and　wife；　five

children；　two　apprentices；　and　a　maid…servant。　　He　had　not　returned　to

his　house　above　a　week；　and　began　to　open　his　shop　and　carry　on　his

trade；　but　the　distemper　broke　out　in　his　family；　and　within　about　five

days　they　all　died；　except　one；　that　is　to　say；　himself；　his　wife；　all　his

five　children；　and　his　two　apprentices；　and　only　the　maid　remained　alive。



But　the　mercy　of　God　was　greater　to　the　rest　than　we　had　reason　to

expect；　for　the　malignity　（as　I　have　said）　of　the　distemper　was　spent；

the　contagion　was　exhausted；　and　also　the　winter　weather　came　on

apace；　and　the　air　was　clear　and　cold；　with　sharp　frosts；　and　this

increasing　still；　most　of　those　that　had　fallen　sick　recovered；　and　the

health　of　the　city　began　to　return。　There　were　indeed　some　returns　of

the　distemper　even　in　the　month　of　December；　and　the　bills　increased

near　a　hundred；　but　it　went　off　again；　and　so　in　a　short　while　things

began　to　return　to　their　own　channel。　　And　wonderful　it　was　to　see

how　populous　the　city　was　again　all　on　a　sudden；　so　that　a　stranger

could　not　miss　the　numbers　that　were　lost。　　Neither　was　there　any　miss

of　the　inhabitants　as　to　their　dwellings　…　few　or　no　empty　houses　were

to　be　seen；　or　if　there　were　some；　there　was　no　want　of

tenants　for　them。



I　wish　I　could　say　that　as　the　city　had　a　new　face；　so　the　manners　of

the　people　had　a　new　appearance。　　I　doubt　not　but　there　were　many

that　retained　a　sincere　sense　of　their　deliverance；　and　were　that

heartily　thankful　to　that　Sovereign　Hand　that　had　protected　them　in　so

dangerous　a　time；　it　would　be　very　uncharitable　to　judge　otherwise　in

a　city　so　populous；　and　where　the　people　were　so　devout　as　they　were

here　in　the　time　of　the　visitation　itself；　but　except　what　of　this　was　to

be　found　in　particular　families　and　faces；　it　must　be　acknowledged

that　the　general　practice　of　the　people　was　just　as　it　was　before；　and

very　little　difference　was　to　be　seen。



Some；　indeed；　said　things　were　worse；　that　the　morals　of　the　people

declined　from　this　very　time；　that　the　people；　hardened　by　the　danger

they　had　been　in；　like　seamen　after　a　storm　is　over；　were　more　wicked

and　more　stupid；　more　bold　and　hardened；　in　their　vices　and　immoralities

than　they　were　before；　but　I　will　not　carry　it　so　far　neither。　　It　would

take　up　a　history　of　no　small　length　to　give　a　particular　of　all　the

gradations　by　which　the　course　of　things　in　this　city　came　to　be

restored　again；　and　to　run　in　their　own　channel　as　they　did　before。



Some　parts　of　England　were　now　infected　as　violently　as　London

had　been；　the　cities　of　Norwich；　Peterborough；　Lincoln；　Colchester；

and　other　places　were　now　visited；　and　the　magistrates　of　London

began　to　set　rules　for　our　conduct　as　to　corresponding　with　those

cities。　　It　is　true　we　could　not　pretend　to　forbid　their　people　coming　to

London；　because　it　was　impossible　to　know　them　asunder；　so；　after

many　consultations；　the　Lord　Mayor　and　Court　of　Aldermen　were

obliged　to　drop　it。　All　they　could　do　was　to　warn　and　caution　the

people　not　to　entertain　in　their　houses　or　converse　with　any　people

who　they　knew　came　from　such　infected　places。



But　they　might　as　well　have　talked　to　the　air；　for　the　people　of

London　thought　themselves　so　plague…free　now　that　they　were　past　all

admonitions；　they　seemed　to　depend　upon　it　that　the　air　was　restored；

and　that　the　air　was　like　a　man　that　had　had　the　smallpox；　not　capable

of　being　infected　again。　　This　revived　that　notion　that　the　infection

was　all　in　the　air；　that　there　was　no　such　thing　as　contagion　from　the

sick　people　to　the　sound；　and　so　strongly　did　this　whimsy　prevail

among　people　that　they　ran　all　together　promiscuously；　sick　and　well。

Not　the　Mahometans；　who；　prepossessed　with　the　principle　of

predestination；　value　nothing　of　contagion；　let　it　be　in　what　it　will；

could　be　more　obstinate　than　the　people　of　London；　they　that　were

perfectly　sound；　and　came　out　of　the　wholesome　air；　as　we　call　it；　into

the　city；　made　nothing　of　going　into　the　same　houses　and　chambers；

nay；　even　into　the　same　beds；　with　those　that　had　the　distemper　upon