part3-第13章

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up。　　At　last　I　fell　into　some　talk；　at　a　distance；　with　this　poor　man；　first

I　asked　him　how　people　did　thereabouts。　　'Alas；　sir！'　says　he；　'almost

desolate；　all　dead　or　sick。　　Here　are　very　few　families　in　this　part；　or　in

that　village'　（pointing　at　Poplar）；　'where　half　of　them　are　not　dead

already；　and　the　rest　sick。'　Then　he　pointing　to　one　house；　'There　they

are　all　dead'；　said　he；　'and　the　house　stands　open；　nobody　dares　go　into

it。　　A　poor　thief'；　says　he；　'ventured　in　to　steal　something；　but　he　paid

dear　for　his　theft；　for　he　was　carried　to　the　churchyard　too　last　night。'

Then　he　pointed　to　several　other　houses。　　'There'；　says　he。　　'they　are　all

dead；　the　man　and　his　wife；　and　five　children。　　There'；　says　he；　'they

are　shut　up；　you　see　a　watchman　at　the　door'；　and　so　of　other　houses。

'Why；'　says　I；　'what　do　you　here　all　alone？　　'　'Why；'　says　he；　'I　am　a

poor；　desolate　man；　it　has　pleased　God　I　am　not　yet　visited；　though　my

family　is；　and　one　of　my　children　dead。'　'How　do　you　mean；　then；'　said

I；　'that　you　are　not　visited？'　'Why；'　says　he；　'that's　my　house'　（pointing

to　a　very　little；　low…boarded　house）；　'and　there　my　poor　wife　and　two

children　live；'　said　he；　'if　they　may　be　said　to　live；　for　my　wife　and　one

of　the　children　are　visited；　but　I　do　not　come　at　them。'　And　with　that

word　I　saw　the　tears　run　very　plentifully　down　his　face；　and　so　they

did　down　mine　too；　I　assure　you。



'But；'　said　I；　'why　do　you　not　come　at　them？　　How　can　you　abandon

your　own　flesh　and　blood？'　'Oh；　sir；'　says　he；　'the　Lord　forbid！　I　do　not

abandon　them；　I　work　for　them　as　much　as　I　am　able；　and；　blessed　be

the　Lord；　I　keep　them　from　want'；　and　with　that　I　observed　he　lifted　up

his　eyes　to　heaven；　with　a　countenance　that　presently　told　me　I　had

happened　on　a　man　that　was　no　hypocrite；　but　a　serious；　religious；

good　man；　and　his　ejaculation　was　an　expression　of　thankfulness　that；

in　such　a　condition　as　he　was　in；　he　should　be　able　to　say　his　family

did　not　want。　　'Well；'　says　I；　'honest　man；　that　is　a　great　mercy　as

things　go　now　with　the　poor。　　But　how　do　you　live；　then；　and　how　are

you　kept　from　the　dreadful　calamity　that　is　now　upon　us　all？'　'Why；

sir；'　says　he；　'I　am　a　waterman；　and　there's　my　boat；'　says　he；　'and　the

boat　serves　me　for　a　house。　　I　work　in　it　in　the　day；　and　I　sleep　in　it　in

the　night；　and　what　I　get　I　lay　down　upon　that　stone；'　says　he；　showing

me　a　broad　stone　on　the　other　side　of　the　street；　a　good　way　from　his

house；　'and　then；'　says　he；　'I　halloo；　and　call　to　them　till　I　make　them

hear；　and　they　come　and　fetch　it。'



'Well；　friend；'　says　I；　'but　how　can　you　get　any　money　as　a

waterman？　　Does　an　body　go　by　water　these　times？'　'Yes；　sir；'　says　he；

'in　the　way　I　am　employed　there　does。　　Do　you　see　there；'　says　he；　'five

ships　lie　at　anchor'　（pointing　down　the　river　a　good　way　below　the

town）；　'and　do　you　see'；　says　he；　'eight　or　ten　ships　lie　at　the　chain

there；　and　at　anchor　yonder？'　pointing　above　the　town）。　　'All　those

ships　have　families　on　board；　of　their　merchants　and　owners；　and

such…like；　who　have　locked　themselves　up　and　live　on　board；　close

shut　in；　for　fear　of　the　infection；　and　I　tend　on　them　to　fetch　things　for

them；　carry　letters；　and　do　what　is　absolutely　necessary；　that　they　may

not　be　obliged　to　come　on　shore；　and　every　night　I　fasten　my　boat　on

board　one　of　the　ship's　boats；　and　there　I　sleep　by　myself；　and；　blessed

be　God；　I　am　preserved　hitherto。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'friend；　but　will　they　let　you　come　on　board　after　you

have　been　on　shore　here；　when　this　is　such　a　terrible　place；　and　so

infected　as　it　is？'



'Why；　as　to　that；'　said　he；　'I　very　seldom　go　up　the　ship…side；　but

deliver　what　I　bring　to　their　boat；　or　lie　by　the　side；　and　they　hoist　it

on　board。　　If　I　did；　I　think　they　are　in　no　danger　from　me；　for　I　never

go　into　any　house　on　shore；　or　touch　anybody；　no；　not　of　my　own

family；　but　I　fetch　provisions　for　them。'



'Nay；'　says　I；　'but　that　may　be　worse；　for　you　must　have　those

provisions　of　somebody　or　other；　and　since　all　this　part　of　the　town　is

so　infected；　it　is　dangerous　so　much　as　to　speak　with　anybody；　for　the

village'；　said　I；　'is；　as　it　were；　the　beginning　of　London；　though　it　be　at

some　distance　from　it。'



'That　is　true；'　added　he；　'but　you　do　not　understand　me　right；　I　do　not

buy　provisions　for　them　here。　　I　row　up　to　Greenwich　and　buy　fresh

meat　there；　and　sometimes　I　row　down　the　river　to　Woolwich　and　buy

there；　then　I　go　to　single　farm…houses　on　the　Kentish　side；　where　I　am

known；　and　buy　fowls　and　eggs　and　butter；　and　bring　to　the　ships；　as

they　direct　me；　sometimes　one；　sometimes　the　other。　　I　seldom　come

on　shore　here；　and　I　came　now　only　to　call　on　my　wife　and　hear　how

my　family　do；　and　give　them　a　little　money；　which　I　received　last　night。'



'Poor　man！'　said　I；　'and　how　much　hast　thou　gotten　for　them？'



'I　have　gotten　four　shillings；'　said　he；　'which　is　a　great　sum；　as　things

go　now　with　poor　men；　but　they　have　given　me　a　bag　of　bread　too；　and

a　salt　fish　and　some　flesh；　so　all　helps　out。'　'Well；'　said　I；　'and　have　you

given　it　them　yet？'



'No；'　said　he；　'but　I　have　called；　and　my　wife　has　answered　that　she

cannot　come　out　yet；　but　in　half…an…hour　she　hopes　to　come；　and　I　am

waiting　for　her。　　Poor　woman！'　says　he；　'she　is　brought　sadly　down。

She　has　a　swelling；　and　it　is　broke；　and　I　hope　she　will　recover；　but　I

fear　the　child　will　die；　but　it　is　the　Lord　…　'



Here　he　stopped；　and　wept　very　much。



'Well；　honest　friend；'　said　I；　'thou　hast　a　sure　Comforter；　if　thou　hast

brought　thyself　to　be　resigned　to　the　will　of　God；　He　is　dealing　with　us

all　in　judgement。'



'Oh；　sir！'　says　he；　'it　is　infinite　mercy　if　any　of　us　are　spared；　and

who　am　I　to　repine！'



'Sayest　thou　so？'　said　I；　'and　how　much　less　is　my　faith　than　thine？'

And　here　my　heart　smote　me；　suggesting　how　much　better　this　poor

man's　foundation　was　on　which　he　stayed　in　the　danger　than　mine；

that　he　had　nowhere　to　fly；　that　he　had　a　family　to　bind　him　to

attendance；　which　I　had　not；　and　mine　was　mere　presumption；　his　a

true　dependence　and　a　courage　resting　on　God；　and　yet　that　he　used　all

possible　caution　for　his　safety。



I　turned　a　little　way　from　the　man　while　these　thoughts　engaged　me；

for；　indeed；　I　could　no　more　refrain　from　tears　than　he。



At　length；　after　some　further　talk；　the　poor　woman　opened　the　door

and　called；　'Robert；　Robert'。　　He　answered；　and　bid　her　stay　a　few

moments　and　he　would　come；　so　he　ran　down　the　common　stairs　to

his　boat　and　fetched　up　a　sack；　in　which　was　the　provisions　he　had

brought　from　the　ships；　and　when　he　returned　he　hallooed　again。

Then　he　went　to　the　great　stone　which　he　showed　me　and　emptied　the

sack；　and　laid　all　out；　everything　by　themselves；　and　then　retired；　and

his　wife　came　with　a　little　boy　to　fetch　them　away；　and　called　and　said

such　a　captain　had　sent　such　a　thing；　and　such　a　captain　such　a　thing；

and　at　the　end　adds；　'God　has　sent　it　all；　give　thanks　to　Him。'　When　the

poor　woman　had　taken　up　all；　she　was　so　weak　she　could　not　carry　it

at　once　in；　though　the　weight　was　not　much　neither；　so　she　left　the

biscuit；　which　was　in　a　little　bag；　and　left　a　little　boy　to　watch　it　till

she　came　again。



'Well；　but'；　says　I　to　him；　'did　you　leave　her　the　four　shillings　too；

which　you　said　was　your　week's　pay？'



'Yes；　yes；'　says　he；　'you　shall　hear　her　own　it。'　So　he　calls　again；

'Rachel；　Rachel；'　which　it　seems　was　her　name；　'did　you　take　up　the

money？'　'Yes；'　said　she。　　'How　much　was　it？'　said　he。　　'Four　shillings

and　a　groat；'　said　she。　　'Well；　well；'　says　he；　'the　Lord　keep　you　all'；　and

so　he　turned　to　go　away。





End　of　Part　3