part5-第13章

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for　oftentimes　they　would　go　about　the　streets　to　the　last；　till　on　a

sudden　they　would　sweat；　grow　faint；　sit　down　at　a　door　and　die。　　It　is

true；　finding　themselves　thus；　they　would　struggle　hard　to　get　home　to

their　own　doors；　or　at　other　times　would　be　just　able　to　go　into　their

houses　and　die　instantly；　other　times　they　would　go　about　till　they　had

the　very　tokens　come　out　upon　them；　and　yet　not　know　it；　and　would

die　in　an　hour　or　two　after　they　came　home；　but　be　well　as　long　as

they　were　abroad。　　These　were　the　dangerous　people；　these　were　the

people　of　whom　the　well　people　ought　to　have　been　afraid；　but　then；

on　the　other　side；　it　was　impossible　to　know　them。



And　this　is　the　reason　why　it　is　impossible　in　a　visitation　to　prevent

the　spreading　of　the　plague　by　the　utmost　human　vigilance：　viz。；　that　it

is　impossible　to　know　the　infected　people　from　the　sound；　or　that　the

infected　people　should　perfectly　know　themselves。　　I　knew　a　man　who

conversed　freely　in　London　all　the　season　of　the　plague　in　1665；　and

kept　about　him　an　antidote　or　cordial　on　purpose　to　take　when　he

thought　himself　in　any　danger；　and　he　had　such　a　rule　to　know　or　have

warning　of　the　danger　by　as　indeed　I　never　met　with　before　or　since。

How　far　it　may　be　depended　on　I　know　not。　　He　had　a　wound　in　his

leg；　and　whenever　he　came　among　any　people　that　were　not　sound；

and　the　infection　began　to　affect　him；　he　said　he　could　know　it　by　that

signal；　viz。；　that　his　wound　in　his　leg　would　smart；　and　look　pale　and

white；　so　as　soon　as　ever　he　felt　it　smart　it　was　time　for　him　to

withdraw；　or　to　take　care　of　himself；　taking　his　drink；　which　he　always

carried　about　him　for　that　purpose。　　Now　it　seems　he　found　his　wound

would　smart　many　times　when　he　was　in　company　with　such　who

thought　themselves　to　be　sound；　and　who　appeared　so　to　one　another；

but　he　would　presently　rise　up　and　say　publicly；　'Friends；　here　is

somebody　in　the　room　that　has　the　plague'；　and　so　would　immediately

break　up　the　company。　　This　was　indeed　a　faithful　monitor　to　all

people　that　the　plague　is　not　to　be　avoided　by　those　that　converse

promiscuously　in　a　town　infected；　and　people　have　it　when　they　know

it　not；　and　that　they　likewise　give　it　to　others　when　they　know　not　that

they　have　it　themselves；　and　in　this　case　shutting　up　the　well　or

removing　the　sick　will　not　do　it；　unless　they　can　go　back　and　shut　up

all　those　that　the　sick　had　conversed　with；　even　before　they　knew

themselves　to　be　sick；　and　none　knows　how　far　to　carry　that　back；　or

where　to　stop；　for　none　knows　when　or　where　or　how　they　may　have

received　the　infection；　or　from　whom。



This　I　take　to　be　the　reason　which　makes　so　many　people　talk　of　the

air　being　corrupted　and　infected；　and　that　they　need　not　be　cautious　of

whom　they　converse　with；　for　that　the　contagion　was　in　the　air。　　I　have

seen　them　in　strange　agitations　and　surprises　on　this　account。　　'I　have

never　come　near　any　infected　body'；　says　the　disturbed　person；　'I　have

conversed　with　none　but　sound；　healthy　people；　and　yet　I　have　gotten

the　distemper！'　'I　am　sure　I　am　struck　from　Heaven'；　says　another；　and

he　falls　to　the　serious　part。　　Again；　the　first　goes　on　exclaiming；　'I　have

come　near　no　infection　or　any　infected　person；　I　am　sure　it　is　the　air。

We　draw　in　death　when　we　breathe；　and　therefore　'tis　the　hand　of

God；　there　is　no　withstanding　it。'　And　this　at　last　made　many　people；

being　hardened　to　the　danger；　grow　less　concerned　at　it；　and　less

cautious　towards　the　latter　end　of　the　time；　and　when　it　was　come　to

its　height；　than　they　were　at　first。　　Then；　with　a　kind　of　a　Turkish

predestinarianism；　they　would　say；　if　it　pleased　God　to　strike　them；　it

was　all　one　whether　they　went　abroad　or　stayed　at　home；　they　could

not　escape　it；　and　therefore　they　went　boldly　about；　even　into　infected

houses　and　infected　company；　visited　sick　people；　and；　in　short；　lay　in

the　beds　with　their　wives　or　relations　when　they　were　infected。　　And

what　was　the　consequence；　but　the　same　that　is　the　consequence　in

Turkey；　and　in　those　countries　where　they　do　those　things　…　namely；

that　they　were　infected　too；　and　died　by　hundreds　and　thousands？



I　would　be　far　from　lessening　the　awe　of　the　judgements　of　God　and

the　reverence　to　His　providence　which　ought　always　to　be　on　our

minds　on　such　occasions　as　these。　　Doubtless　the　visitation　itself　is　a

stroke　from　Heaven　upon　a　city；　or　country；　or　nation　where　it　falls；　a

messenger　of　His　vengeance；　and　a　loud　call　to　that　nation　or　country

or　city　to　humiliation　and　repentance；　according　to　that　of　the　prophet

Jeremiah　（xviii。　7；　8）：　'At　what　instant　I　shall　speak　concerning　a

nation；　and　concerning　a　kingdom；　to　pluck　up；　and　to　pull　down；　and

to　destroy　it；　if　that　nation　against　whom　I　have　pronounced　turn　from

their　evil；　I　will　repent　of　the　evil　that　I　thought　to　do　unto　them。'　Now

to　prompt　due　impressions　of　the　awe　of　God　on　the　minds　of　men　on

such　occasions；　and　not　to　lessen　them；　it　is　that　I　have　left　those

minutes　upon　record。



I　say；　therefore；　I　reflect　upon　no　man　for　putting　the　reason　of　those

things　upon　the　immediate　hand　of　God；　and　the　appointment　and

direction　of　His　providence；　nay；　on　the　contrary；　there　were　many

wonderful　deliverances　of　persons　from　infection；　and　deliverances　of

persons　when　infected；　which　intimate　singular　and　remarkable

providence　in　the　particular　instances　to　which　they　refer；　and　I

esteem　my　own　deliverance　to　be　one　next　to　miraculous；　and　do

record　it　with　thankfulness。



But　when　I　am　speaking　of　the　plague　as　a　distemper　arising　from

natural　causes；　we　must　consider　it　as　it　was　really　propagated　by

natural　means；　nor　is　it　at　all　the　less　a　judgement　for　its　being　under

the　conduct　of　human　causes　and　effects；　for；　as　the　Divine　Power　has

formed　the　whole　scheme　of　nature　and　maintains　nature　in　its　course；

so　the　same　Power　thinks　fit　to　let　His　own　actings　with　men；　whether

of　mercy　or　judgement；　to　go　on　in　the　ordinary　course　of　natural

causes；　and　He　is　pleased　to　act　by　those　natural　causes　as　the

ordinary　means；　excepting　and　reserving　to　Himself　nevertheless　a

power　to　act　in　a　supernatural　way　when　He　sees　occasion。　　Now　'tis

evident　that　in　the　case　of　an　infection　there　is　no　apparent

extraordinary　occasion　for　supernatural　operation；　but　the　ordinary

course　of　things　appears　sufficiently　armed；　and　made　capable　of　all

the　effects　that　Heaven　usually　directs　by　a　contagion。　　Among　these

causes　and　effects；　this　of　the　secret　conveyance　of　infection；

imperceptible　and　unavoidable；　is　more　than　sufficient　to　execute　the

fierceness　of　Divine　vengeance；　without　putting　it　upon　supernaturals

and　miracle。



The　acute　penetrating　nature　of　the　disease　itself　was　such；　and　the

infection　was　received　so　imperceptibly；　that　the　most　exact　caution

could　not　secure　us　while　in　the　place。　　But　I　must　be　allowed　to

believe　…　and　I　have　so　many　examples　fresh　in　my　memory　to

convince　me　of　it；　that　I　think　none　can　resist　their　evidence　…　I　say；　I

must　be　allowed　to　believe　that　no　one　in　this　whole　nation　ever

received　the　sickness　or　infection　but　who　received　it　in　the　ordinary

way　of　infection　from　somebody；　or　the　clothes　or　touch　or　stench　of

somebody　that　was　infected　before。



The　manner　of　its　coming　first　to　London　proves　this　also；　viz。；　by

goods　brought　over　from　Holland；　and　brought　thither　from　the

Levant；　the　first　breaking　of　it　out　in　a　house　in　Long　Acre　where

those　goods　were　carried　and　first　opened；　its　spreading　from　that

house　to　other　houses　by　the　visible　unwary　conversing　with　those

who　were　sick；　and　the　infecting　the　parish　officers　who　were

employed　about　the　persons　dead；　and　the　like。　　These　are　known

authorities　for　this　great　foundation　point　…　that　it　went　on　and

proceeded　from　person　to　person　and　from　house　to　house；　and　no

otherwise。　　In　the　first　house　that　was　infected　there　died　four　persons。

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