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committed　a　great　many　petty　thieveries　in　the　houses　where　they

were　employed；　and　some　of　them　were　publicly　whipped　for　it；　when

perhaps　they　ought　rather　to　have　been　hanged　for　examples；　for

numbers　of　houses　were　robbed　on　these　occasions；　till　at　length　the

parish　officers　were　sent　to　recommend　nurses　to　the　sick；　and　always

took　an　account　whom　it　was　they　sent；　so　as　that　they　might　call　them

to　account　if　the　house　had　been　abused　where　they　were　placed。



But　these　robberies　extended　chiefly　to　wearing…clothes；　linen；　and

what　rings　or　money　they　could　come　at　when　the　person　died　who

was　under　their　care；　but　not　to　a　general　plunder　of　the　houses；　and　I

could　give　you　an　account　of　one　of　these　nurses；　who；　several　years

after；　being　on　her　deathbed；　confessed　with　the　utmost　horror　the

robberies　she　had　committed　at　the　time　of　her　being　a　nurse；　and　by

which　she　had　enriched　herself　to　a　great　degree。　　But　as　for　murders；

I　do　not　find　that　there　was　ever　any　proof　of　the　facts　in　the　manner

as　it　has　been　reported；　except　as　above。



They　did　tell　me；　indeed；　of　a　nurse　in　one　place　that　laid　a　wet　cloth

upon　the　face　of　a　dying　patient　whom　she　tended；　and　so　put　an　end

to　his　life；　who　was　just　expiring　before；　and　another　that　smothered　a

young　woman　she　was　looking　to　when　she　was　in　a　fainting　fit；　and

would　have　come　to　herself；　some　that　killed　them　by　giving　them　one

thing；　some　another；　and　some　starved　them　by　giving　them　nothing　at

all。　　But　these　stories　had　two　marks　of　suspicion　that　always　attended

them；　which　caused　me　always　to　slight　them　and　to　look　on　them　as

mere　stories　that　people　continually　frighted　one　another　with。　　First；

that　wherever　it　was　that　we　heard　it；　they　always　placed　the　scene　at

the　farther　end　of　the　town；　opposite　or　most　remote　from　where　you

were　to　hear　it。　　If　you　heard　it　in　Whitechappel；　it　had　happened　at　St

Giles's；　or　at　Westminster；　or　Holborn；　or　that　end　of　the　town。　　If　you

heard　of　it　at　that　end　of　the　town；　then　it　was　done　in　Whitechappel；　or

the　Minories；　or　about　Cripplegate　parish。　　If　you　heard　of　it　in　the

city；　why；　then　it　happened　in　Southwark；　and　if　you　heard　of　it　in

Southwark；　then　it　was　done　in　the　city；　and　the　like。



In　the　next　place；　of　what　part　soever　you　heard　the　story；　the

particulars　were　always　the　same；　especially　that　of　laying　a　wet

double　clout　on　a　dying　man's　face；　and　that　of　smothering　a　young

gentlewoman；　so　that　it　was　apparent；　at　least　to　my　judgement；　that

there　was　more　of　tale　than　of　truth　in　those　things。



However；　I　cannot　say　but　it　had　some　effect　upon　the　people；　and

particularly　that；　as　I　said　before；　they　grew　more　cautious　whom　they

took　into　their　houses；　and　whom　they　trusted　their　lives　with；　and　had

them　always　recommended　if　they　could；　and　where　they　could　not

find　such；　for　they　were　not　very　plenty；　they　applied　to　the　parish

officers。



But　here　again　the　misery　of　that　time　lay　upon　the　poor　who；　being

infected；　had　neither　food　or　physic；　neither　physician　or　apothecary

to　assist　them；　or　nurse　to　attend　them。　　Many　of　those　died　calling　for

help；　and　even　for　sustenance；　out　at　their　windows　in　a　most

miserable　and　deplorable　manner；　but　it　must　be　added　that　whenever

the　cases　of　such　persons　or　families　were　represented　to　my　Lord

Mayor　they　always　were　relieved。



It　is　true；　in　some　houses　where　the　people　were　not　very　poor；　yet

where　they　had　sent　perhaps　their　wives　and　children　away；　and　if

they　had　any　servants　they　had　been　dismissed；　…　I　say　it　is　true　that　to

save　the　expenses；　many　such　as　these　shut　themselves　in；　and　not

having　help；　died　alone。



A　neighbour　and　acquaintance　of　mine；　having　some　money　owing

to　him　from　a　shopkeeper　in　Whitecross　Street　or　thereabouts；　sent　his

apprentice；　a　youth　about　eighteen　years　of　age；　to　endeavour　to　get

the　money。　　He　came　to　the　door；　and　finding　it　shut；　knocked　pretty

hard；　and；　as　he　thought；　heard　somebody　answer　within；　but　was　not

sure；　so　he　waited；　and　after　some　stay　knocked　again；　and　then　a　third

time；　when　he　heard　somebody　coming　downstairs。



At　length　the　man　of　the　house　came　to　the　door；　he　had　on　his

breeches　or　drawers；　and　a　yellow　flannel　waistcoat；　no　stockings；　a

pair　of　slipped…shoes；　a　white　cap　on　his　head；　and；　as　the　young　man

said；　'death　in　his　face'。



When　he　opened　the　door；　says　he；　'What　do　you　disturb　me　thus　for？'

The　boy；　though　a　little　surprised；　replied；　'I　come　from　such　a

one；　and　my　master　sent　me　for　the　money　which　he　says　you　know

of。'　'Very　well；　child；'　returns　the　living　ghost；　'call　as　you　go　by　at

Cripplegate　Church；　and　bid　them　ring　the　bell'；　and　with　these　words

shut　the　door　again；　and　went　up　again；　and　died　the　same　day；　nay；

perhaps　the　same　hour。　　This　the　young　man　told　me　himself；　and　I

have　reason　to　believe　it。　　This　was　while　the　plague　was　not　come　to

a　height。　　I　think　it　was　in　June；　towards　the　latter　end　of　the　month；　it

must　be　before　the　dead…carts　came　about；　and　while　they　used　the

ceremony　of　ringing　the　bell　for　the　dead；　which　was　over　for　certain；

in　that　parish　at　least；　before　the　month　of　July；　for　by　the　25th　of　July

there　died　550　and　upwards　in　a　week；　and　then　they　could　no　more

bury　in　form；　rich　or　poor。



I　have　mentioned　above　that　notwithstanding　this　dreadful　calamity；

yet　the　numbers　of　thieves　were　abroad　upon　all　occasions；　where　they

had　found　any　prey；　and　that　these　were　generally　women。　　It　was　one

morning　about　eleven　O'clock；　I　had　walked　out　to　my　brother's　house

in　Coleman　Street　parish；　as　I　often　did；　to　see　that　all　was　safe。



My　brother's　house　had　a　little　court　before　it；　and　a　brick　wall　and　a

gate　in　it；　and　within　that　several　warehouses　where　his　goods　of

several　sorts　lay。　　It　happened　that　in　one　of　these　warehouses　were

several　packs　of　women's　high…crowned　hats；　which　came　out　of　the

country　and　were；　as　I　suppose；　for　exportation：　whither；　I　know　not。



I　was　surprised　that　when　I　came　near　my　brother's　door；　which　was

in　a　place　they　called　Swan　Alley；　I　met　three　or　four　women　with

high…crowned　hats　on　their　heads；　and；　as　I　remembered　afterwards；

one；　if　not　more；　had　some　hats　likewise　in　their　hands；　but　as　I　did

not　see　them　come　out　at　my　brother's　door；　and　not　knowing　that　my

brother　had　any　such　goods　in　his　warehouse；　I　did　not　offer　to　say

anything　to　them；　but　went　across　the　way　to　shun　meeting　them；　as

was　usual　to　do　at　that　time；　for　fear　of　the　plague。　　But　when　I　came

nearer　to　the　gate　I　met　another　woman　with　more　hats　come　out　of

the　gate。　　'What　business；　mistress；'　said　I；　'have　you　had　there？'

'There　are　more　people　there；'　said　she；　'I　have　had　no　more　business　there

than　they。'　I　was　hasty　to　get　to　the　gate　then；　and　said　no　more　to　her；

by　which　means　she　got　away。　　But　just　as　I　came　to　the　gate；　I　saw

two　more　coming　across　the　yard　to　come　out　with　hats　also　on　their

heads　and　under　their　arms；　at　which　I　threw　the　gate　to　behind　me；

which　having　a　spring　lock　fastened　itself；　and　turning　to　the　women；

'Forsooth；'　said　I；　'what　are　you　doing　here？'　and　seized　upon　the　hats；

and　took　them　from　them。　　One　of　them；　who；　I　confess；　did　not　look

like　a　thief　…　'Indeed；'　says　she；　'we　are　wrong；　but　we　were　told　they

were　goods　that　had　no　owner。　　Be　pleased　to　take　them　again；　and

look　yonder；　there　are　more　such　customers　as　we。'　She　cried　and

looked　pitifully；　so　I　took　the　hats　from　her　and　opened　the　gate；　and

bade　them　be　gone；　for　I　pitied　the　women　indeed；　but　when　I　looked

towards　the　warehouse；　as　she　directed；　there　were　six　or　seven　more；

all　women；　fitting　themselves　with　hats　as　unconcerned　and　quiet　as　if

they　had　been　at　a　hatter's　shop　buying　for　their　money。



I　was　surprised；　not　at　the　sight　of　so　many　thieves　only；　but　at　the

circumstances　I　was　in；　being　now　to　thrust　myself　in　among　so　many

peopl