part3-第1章

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Part　3




When　the　buriers　came　up　to　him　they　soon　found　he　was　neither　a

person　infected　and　desperate；　as　I　have　observed　above；　or　a　person

distempered　…in　mind；　but　one　oppressed　with　a　dreadful　weight　of

grief　indeed；　having　his　wife　and　several　of　his　children　all　in　the　cart

that　was　just　come　in　with　him；　and　he　followed　in　an　agony　and

excess　of　sorrow。　　He　mourned　heartily；　as　it　was　easy　to　see；　but　with

a　kind　of　masculine　grief　that　could　not　give　itself　vent　by　tears；　and

calmly　defying　the　buriers　to　let　him　alone；　said　he　would　only　see　the

bodies　thrown　in　and　go　away；　so　they　left　importuning　him。　　But　no

sooner　was　the　cart　turned　round　and　the　bodies　shot　into　the　pit

promiscuously；　which　was　a　surprise　to　him；　for　he　at　least　expected

they　would　have　been　decently　laid　in；　though　indeed　he　was

afterwards　convinced　that　was　impracticable；　I　say；　no　sooner　did　he

see　the　sight　but　he　cried　out　aloud；　unable　to　contain　himself。　　I　could

not　hear　what　he　said；　but　he　went　backward　two　or　three　steps　and

fell　down　in　a　swoon。　　The　buriers　ran　to　him　and　took　him　up；　and　in

a　little　while　he　came　to　himself；　and　they　led　him　away　to　the　Pie

Tavern　over　against　the　end　of　Houndsditch；　where；　it　seems；　the　man

was　known；　and　where　they　took　care　of　him。　　He　looked　into　the　pit

again　as　he　went　away；　but　the　buriers　had　covered　the　bodies　so

immediately　with　throwing　in　earth；　that　though　there　was　light

enough；　for　there　were　lanterns；　and　candles　in　them；　placed　all　night

round　the　sides　of　the　pit；　upon　heaps　of　earth；　seven　or　eight；　or

perhaps　more；　yet　nothing　could　be　seen。



This　was　a　mournful　scene　indeed；　and　affected　me　almost　as　much

as　the　rest；　but　the　other　was　awful　and　full　of　terror。　　The　cart　had　in

it　sixteen　or　seventeen　bodies；　some　were　wrapt　up　in　linen　sheets；

some　in　rags；　some　little　other　than　naked；　or　so　loose　that　what

covering　they　had　fell　from　them　in　the　shooting　out　of　the　cart；　and

they　fell　quite　naked　among　the　rest；　but　the　matter　was　not　much　to

them；　or　the　indecency　much　to　any　one　else；　seeing　they　were　all

dead；　and　were　to　be　huddled　together　into　the　common　grave　of

mankind；　as　we　may　call　it；　for　here　was　no　difference　made；　but　poor

and　rich　went　together；　there　was　no　other　way　of　burials；　neither　was

it　possible　there　should；　for　coffins　were　not　to　be　had　for　the

prodigious　numbers　that　fell　in　such　a　calamity　as　this。



It　was　reported　by　way　of　scandal　upon　the　buriers；　that　if　any

corpse　was　delivered　to　them　decently　wound　up；　as　we　called　it　then；

in　a　winding…sheet　tied　over　the　head　and　feet；　which　some　did；　and

which　was　generally　of　good　linen；　I　say；　it　was　reported　that　the

buriers　were　so　wicked　as　to　strip　them　in　the　cart　and　carry　them

quite　naked　to　the　ground。　　But　as　I　cannot　easily　credit　anything　so

vile　among　Christians；　and　at　a　time　so　filled　with　terrors　as　that　was；

I　can　only　relate　it　and　leave　it　undetermined。



Innumerable　stories　also　went　about　of　the　cruel　behaviours　and

practices　of　nurses　who　tended　the　sick；　and　of　their　hastening　on　the

fate　of　those　they　tended　in　their　sickness。　　But　I　shall　say　more　of　this

in　its　place。



I　was　indeed　shocked　with　this　sight；　it　almost　overwhelmed　me；

and　I　went　away　with　my　heart　most　afflicted；　and　full　of　the　afflicting

thoughts；　such　as　I　cannot　describe。　just　at　my　going　out　of　the　church；

and　turning　up　the　street　towards　my　own　house；　I　saw　another　cart

with　links；　and　a　bellman　going　before；　coming　out　of　Harrow　Alley　in

the　Butcher　Row；　on　the　other　side　of　the　way；　and　being；　as　I

perceived；　very　full　of　dead　bodies；　it　went　directly　over　the　street　also

toward　the　church。　　I　stood　a　while；　but　I　had　no　stomach　to　go　back

again　to　see　the　same　dismal　scene　over　again；　so　I　went　directly　home；

where　I　could　not　but　consider　with　thankfulness　the　risk　I　had　run；

believing　I　had　gotten　no　injury；　as　indeed　I　had　not。



Here　the　poor　unhappy　gentleman's　grief　came　into　my　head　again；

and　indeed　I　could　not　but　shed　tears　in　the　reflection　upon　it；　perhaps

more　than　he　did　himself；　but　his　case　lay　so　heavy　upon　my　mind　that

I　could　not　prevail　with　myself；　but　that　I　must　go　out　again　into　the

street；　and　go　to　the　Pie　Tavern；　resolving　to　inquire　what　became　of　him。



It　was　by　this　time　one　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　yet　the　poor

gentleman　was　there。　　The　truth　was；　the　people　of　the　house；　knowing

him；　had　entertained　him；　and　kept　him　there　all　the　night；

notwithstanding　the　danger　of　being　infected　by　him；　though　it

appeared　the　man　was　perfectly　sound　himself。



It　is　with　regret　that　I　take　notice　of　this　tavern。　　The　people　were

civil；　mannerly；　and　an　obliging　sort　of　folks　enough；　and　had　till　this

time　kept　their　house　open　and　their　trade　going　on；　though　not　so

very　publicly　as　formerly：　but　there　was　a　dreadful　set　of　fellows　that

used　their　house；　and　who；　in　the　middle　of　all　this　horror；　met　there

every　night；　behaved　with　all　the　revelling　and　roaring　extravagances

as　is　usual　for　such　people　to　do　at　other　times；　and；　indeed；　to　such　an

offensive　degree　that　the　very　master　and　mistress　of　the　house　grew

first　ashamed　and　then　terrified　at　them。



They　sat　generally　in　a　room　next　the　street；　and　as　they　always　kept

late　hours；　so　when　the　dead…cart　came　across　the　street…end　to　go　into

Houndsditch；　which　was　in　view　of　the　tavern　windows；　they　would

frequently　open　the　windows　as　soon　as　they　heard　the　bell　and　look

out　at　them；　and　as　they　might　often　hear　sad　lamentations　of　people

in　the　streets　or　at　their　windows　as　the　carts　went　along；　they　would

make　their　impudent　mocks　and　jeers　at　them；　especially　if　they　heard

the　poor　people　call　upon　God　to　have　mercy　upon　them；　as　many

would　do　at　those　times　in　their　ordinary　passing　along　the　streets。



These　gentlemen；　being　something　disturbed　with　the　clutter　of

bringing　the　poor　gentleman　into　the　house；　as　above；　were　first　angry

and　very　high　with　the　master　of　the　house　for　suffering　such　a　fellow；

as　they　called　him；　to　be　brought　out　of　the　grave　into　their　house；　but

being　answered　that　the　man　was　a　neighbour；　and　that　he　was　sound；

but　overwhelmed　with　the　calamity　of　his　family；　and　the　like；　they

turned　their　anger　into　ridiculing　the　man　and　his　sorrow　for　his　wife

and　children；　taunted　him　with　want　of　courage　to　leap　into　the　great

pit　and　go　to　heaven；　as　they　jeeringly　expressed　it；　along　with　them；

adding　some　very　profane　and　even　blasphemous　expressions。



They　were　at　this　vile　work　when　I　came　back　to　the　house；　and；　as

far　as　I　could　see；　though　the　man　sat　still；　mute　and　disconsolate；　and

their　affronts　could　not　divert　his　sorrow；　yet　he　was　both　grieved　and

offended　at　their　discourse。　　Upon　this　I　gently　reproved　them；　being

well　enough　acquainted　with　their　characters；　and　not　unknown　in

person　to　two　of　them。



They　immediately　fell　upon　me　with　ill　language　and　oaths；　asked

me　what　I　did　out　of　my　grave　at　such　a　time　when　so　many　honester

men　were　carried　into　the　churchyard；　and　why　I　was　not　at　home

saying　my　prayers　against　the　dead…cart　came　for　me；　and　the　like。



I　was　indeed　astonished　at　the　impudence　of　the　men；　though　not　at

all　discomposed　at　their　treatment　of　me。　　However；　I　kept　my　temper。

I　told　them　that　though　I　defied　them　or　any　man　in　the　world　to　tax

me　with　any　dishonesty；　yet　I　acknowledged　that　in　this　terrible

judgement　of　God　many　better　than　I　were　swept　away　and　carried　to

their　grave。　　But　to　answer　their　question　directly；　the　case　was；　that　I

was　mercifully　preserved　by　that　great　God　whose　name　they　had

blasphemed　and　taken　in　vain　by　cursing　and　swearing　in　a　dreadful

manner；　and　that　I　believed　I　was　preserved　in　particular；　among　other

ends　of　His　goodness；　that　I　might　reprove　them　for　their　audacious

boldness　in　behaving　in　such　a　manner　and　in　such　an　awful　time　as