part3-第4章

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out…parishes　and　in　Surrey；　or　the　side　of　the　water　they　called

Southwark。　　This　was　besides　the　numbers　of　lodgers；　and　of

particular　persons　who　were　fled　out　of　other　families；　so　that　in　all　it

was　computed　that　about　200；000　people　were　fled　and　gone。　　But　of

this　I　shall　speak　again。　　But　I　mention　it　here　on　this　account；　namely；

that　it　was　a　rule　with　those　who　had　thus　two　houses　in　their　keeping

or　care；　that　if　anybody　was　taken　sick　in　a　family；　before　the　master

of　the　family　let　the　examiners　or　any　other　officer　know　of　it；　he

immediately　would　send　all　the　rest　of　his　family；　whether　children　or

servants；　as　it　fell　out　to　be；　to　such　other　house　which　he　had　so　in

charge；　and　then　giving　notice　of　the　sick　person　to　the　examiner；

have　a　nurse　or　nurses　appointed；　and　have　another　person　to　be　shut

up　in　the　house　with　them　（which　many　for　money　would　do）；　so　to

take　charge　of　the　house　in　case　the　person　should　die。



This　was；　in　many　cases；　the　saving　a　whole　family；　who；　if　they　had

been　shut　up　with　the　sick　person；　would　inevitably　have　perished。

But；　on　the　other　hand；　this　was　another　of　the　inconveniences　of

shutting　up　houses；　for　the　apprehensions　and　terror　of　being　shut　up

made　many　run　away　with　the　rest　of　the　family；　who；　though　it　was

not　publicly　known；　and　they　were　not　quite　sick；　had　yet　the

distemper　upon　them；　and　who；　by　having　an　uninterrupted　liberty　to

go　about；　but　being　obliged　still　to　conceal　their　circumstances；　or

perhaps　not　knowing　it　themselves；　gave　the　distemper　to　others；　and

spread　the　infection　in　a　dreadful　manner；　as　I　shall　explain　further

hereafter。



And　here　I　may　be　able　to　make　an　observation　or　two　of　my　own；

which　may　be　of　use　hereafter　to　those　into　whose　bands　these　may

come；　if　they　should　ever　see　the　like　dreadful　visitation。　（1）　The

infection　generally　came　into　the　houses　of　the　citizens　by　the　means

of　their　servants；　whom　they　were　obliged　to　send　up　and　down　the

streets　for　necessaries；　that　is　to　say；　for　food　or　physic；　to

bakehouses；　brew…houses；　shops；　&c。；　and　who　going　necessarily

through　the　streets　into　shops；　markets；　and　the　like；　it　was　impossible

but　that　they　should；　one　way　or

other；　meet　with　distempered　people；　who　conveyed　the　fatal　breath

into　them；　and　they　brought　it　home　to　the　families　to　which　they

belonged。　（2）　It　was　a　great　mistake　that　such　a　great　city　as　this　had

but　one　pest…house；　for　had　there　been；　instead　of　one　pest…house　…

viz。；　beyond　Bunhill　Fields；　where；　at　most；　they　could　receive；

perhaps；　two　hundred　or　three　hundred　people　…　I　say；　had　there；

instead　of　that　one；　been　several　pest…houses；　every　one　able　to

contain　a　thousand　people；　without　lying　two　in　a　bed；　or　two　beds　in

a　room；　and　had　every　master　of　a　family；　as　soon　as　any　servant

especially　had　been　taken　sick　in　his　house；　been　obliged　to　send　them

to　the　next　pest…house；　if　they　were　willing；　as　many　were；　and　had　the

examiners　done　the　like　among　the　poor　people　when　any　had　been

stricken　with　the　infection；　I　say；　had　this　been　done　where　the　people

were　willing　（not　otherwise）；　and　the　houses　not　been　shut；　I　am

persuaded；　and　was　all　the　while　of　that　opinion；　that　not　so　many；　by

several　thousands；　had　died；　for　it　was　observed；　and　I　could　give

several　instances　within　the　compass　of　my　own　knowledge；　where　a

servant　had　been　taken　sick；　and　the　family　had　either　time　to　send

him　out　or　retire　from　the　house　and　leave　the　sick　person；　as　I　have

said　above；　they　had　all　been　preserved；　whereas　when；　upon　one　or

more　sickening　in　a　family；　the　house　has　been　shut　up；　the　whole

family　have　perished；　and　the　bearers　been　obliged　to　go　in　to　fetch

out　the　dead　bodies；　not　being　able　to　bring　them　to　the　door；　and　at

last　none　left　to　do　it。



（3）　This　put　it　out　of　question　to　me；　that　the　calamity　was　spread　by

infection；　that　is　to　say；　by　some　certain　steams　or　fumes；　which　the

physicians　call　effluvia；　by　the　breath；　or　by　the　sweat；　or　by　the

stench　of　the　sores　of　the　sick　persons；　or　some　other　way；　perhaps；

beyond　even　the　reach　of　the　physicians　themselves；　which　effluvia

affected　the　sound　who　came　within　certain　distances　of　the　sick；

immediately　penetrating　the　vital　parts　of　the　said　sound　persons；

putting　their　blood　into　an　immediate　ferment；　and　agitating　their

spirits　to　that　degree　which　it　was　found　they　were　agitated；　and　so

those　newly　infected　persons　communicated　it　in　the　same　manner　to

others。　　And　this　I　shall　give　some　instances　of；　that　cannot　but

convince　those　who　seriously　consider　it；　and　I　cannot　but　with　some

wonder　find　some　people；　now　the　contagion　is　over；　talk　of　its　being

an　immediate　stroke　from　Heaven；　without　the　agency　of　means；

having　commission　to　strike　this　and　that　particular　person；　and　none

other　…　which　I　look　upon　with　contempt　as　the　effect　of　manifest

ignorance　and　enthusiasm；　likewise　the　opinion　of　others；　who　talk　of

infection　being　carried　on　by　the　air　only；　by　carrying　with　it　vast

numbers　of　insects　and　invisible　creatures；　who　enter　into　the　body

with　the　breath；　or　even　at　the　pores　with　the　air；　and　there　generate　or

emit　most　acute　poisons；　or　poisonous　ovae　or　eggs；　which　mingle

themselves　with　the　blood；　and　so　infect　the　body：　a　discourse　full　of

learned　simplicity；　and　manifested　to　be　so　by　universal　experience；

but　I　shall　say　more　to　this　case　in　its　order。



I　must　here　take　further　notice　that　nothing　was　more　fatal　to　the

inhabitants　of　this　city　than　the　supine　negligence　of　the　people

themselves；　who；　during　the　long　notice　or　warning　they　had　of　the

visitation；　made　no　provision　for　it　by　laying　in　store　of　provisions；　or

of　other　necessaries；　by　which　they　might　have　lived　retired　and

within　their　own　houses；　as　I　have　observed　others　did；　and　who　were

in　a　great　measure　preserved　by　that　caution；　nor　were　they；　after　they

were　a　little　hardened　to　it；　so　shy　of　conversing　with　one　another；

when　actually　infected；　as　they　were　at　first：　no；　though　they　knew　it。



I　acknowledge　I　was　one　of　those　thoughtless　ones　that　had　made　so

little　provision　that　my　servants　were　obliged　to　go　out　of　doors　to　buy

every　trifle　by　penny　and　halfpenny；　just　as　before　it　began；　even　till

my　experience　showing　me　the　folly；　I　began　to　be　wiser　so　late　that　I

had　scarce　time　to　store　myself　sufficient　for　our　common　subsistence

for　a　month。



I　had　in　family　only　an　ancient　woman　that　managed　the　house；　a

maid…servant；　two　apprentices；　and　myself；　and　the　plague　beginning

to　increase　about　us；　I　had　many　sad　thoughts　about　what　course　I

should　take；　and　how　I　should　act。　　The　many　dismal　objects　which

happened　everywhere　as　I　went　about　the　streets；　had　filled　my　mind

with　a　great　deal　of　horror　for　fear　of　the　distemper；　which　was　indeed

very　horrible　in　itself；　and　in　some　more　than　in　others。　　The

swellings；　which　were　generally　in　the　neck　or　groin；　when　they　grew

hard　and　would　not　break；　grew　so　painful　that　it　was　equal　to　the

most　exquisite　torture；　and　some；　not　able　to　bear　the　torment；　threw

themselves　out　at　windows　or　shot　themselves；　or　otherwise　made

themselves　away；　and　I　saw　several　dismal　objects　of　that　kind。

Others；　unable　to　contain　themselves；　vented　their　pain　by　incessant

roarings；　and　such　loud　and　lamentable　cries　were　to　be　heard　as　we

walked　along　the　streets　that　would　pierce　the　very　heart　to　think　of；

especially　when　it　was　to　be　considered　that　the　same　dreadful

scourge　might　be　expected　every　moment　to　seize　upon　ourselves。



I　cannot　say　but　that　now　I　began　to　faint　in　my　resolutions；　my

heart　failed　me　very　much；　and　sorely　I　repented　of　my　rashness。

When　I　had　been　out；　and　met　with　such　terrible　things　as　these　I　have

talked　of；　I　say　I　repented　my　rashness　in　venturing　to　abide　in　town。　　I

wished　often　that　I　had　not　taken　upon　me　to　stay；　but　had　gone　away

with　my　brother　and　his　family