part5-第14章

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

A　neighbour；　hearing　the　mistress　of　the　first　house　was　sick；　went　to

visit　her；　and　went　home　and　gave　the　distemper　to　her　family；　and

died；　and　all　her　household。　　A　minister；　called　to　pray　with　the　first

sick　person　in　the　second　house；　was　said　to　sicken　immediately　and

die　with　several　more　in　his　house。　　Then　the　physicians　began　to

consider；　for　they　did　not　at　first　dream　of　a　general　contagion。　　But

the　physicians　being　sent　to　inspect　the　bodies；　they　assured　the

people　that　it　was　neither　more　or　less　than　the　plague；　with　all　its

terrifying　particulars；　and　that　it　threatened　an　universal　infection；　so

many　people　having　already　conversed　with　the　sick　or　distempered；

and　having；　as　might　be　supposed；　received　infection　from　them；　that

it　would　be　impossible　to　put　a　stop　to　it。



Here　the　opinion　of　the　physicians　agreed　with　my　observation

afterwards；　namely；　that　the　danger　was　spreading　insensibly；　for　the

sick　could　infect　none　but　those　that　came　within　reach　of　the　sick

person；　but　that　one　man　who　may　have　really　received　the　infection

and　knows　it　not；　but　goes　abroad　and　about　as　a　sound　person；　may

give　the　plague　to　a　thousand　people；　and　they　to　greater　numbers　in

proportion；　and　neither　the　person　giving　the　infection　or　the　persons

receiving　it　know　anything　of　it；　and　perhaps　not　feel　the　effects　of　it

for　several　days　after。



For　example；　many　persons　in　the　time　of　this　visitation　never

perceived　that　they　were　infected　till　they　found　to　their　unspeakable

surprise；　the　tokens　come　out　upon　them；　after　which　they　seldom

lived　six　hours；　for　those　spots　they　called　the　tokens　were　really

gangrene　spots；　or　mortified　flesh　in　small　knobs　as　broad　as　a　little

silver　penny；　and　hard　as　a　piece　of　callus　or　horn；　so　that；　when　the

disease　was　come　up　to　that　length；　there　was　nothing　could　follow

but　certain　death；　and　yet；　as　I　said；　they　knew　nothing　of　their　being

infected；　nor　found　themselves　so　much　as　out　of　order；　till　those

mortal　marks　were　upon　them。　　But　everybody　must　allow　that　they

were　infected　in　a　high　degree　before；　And　must　have　been　so　some

time；　and　consequently　their　breath；　their　sweat；　their　very　clothes；

were　contagious　for　many　days　before。

This　occasioned　a　vast　variety　of　cases　which　physicians　would　have

much　more　opportunity　to　remember　than　I；　but　some　came　within

the　compass　of　my　observation　or　hearing；　of　which　I　shall　name　a　few。



A　certain　citizen　who　had　lived　safe　and　untouched　till　the　month　of

September；　when　the　weight　of　the　distemper　lay　more　in　the　city　than

it　had　done　before；　was　mighty　cheerful；　and　something　too　bold　（as　I

think　it　was）　in　his　talk　of　how　secure　he　was；　how　cautious　he　had

been；　and　how　he　had　never　come　near　any　sick　body。　　Says　another

citizen；　a　neighbour　of　his；　to　him　one　day；　'Do　not　be　too　confident；

Mr　…；　it　is　hard　to　say　who　is　sick　and　who　is　well；　for　we　see　men

alive　and　well　to　outward　appearance　one　hour；　and　dead　the　next。'

'That　is　true'；　says　the　first　man；　for　he　was　not　a　man　presumptuously

secure；　but　had　escaped　a　long　while　…　and　men；　as　I　said　above；

especially　in　the　city　began　to　be　over…easy　upon　that　score。　　'That　is

true；'　says　he；　'I　do　not　think　myself　secure；　but　I　hope　I　have　not　been

in　company　with　any　person　that　there　has　been　any　danger　in。'　'No？'

says　his　neighbour。　　'Was　not　you　at　the　Bull　Head　Tavern　in

Gracechurch　Street　with　Mr　…　the　night　before　last？'　'Yes；'　says　the

first；　'I　was；　but　there　was　nobody　there　that　we　had　any　reason　to

think　dangerous。'　Upon　which　his　neighbour　said　no　more；　being

unwilling　to　surprise　him；　but　this　made　him　more　inquisitive；　and　as

his　neighbour　appeared　backward；　he　was　the　more　impatient；　and　in　a

kind　of　warmth　says　he　aloud；　'Why；　he　is　not　dead；　is　he？'　Upon

which　his　neighbour　still　was　silent；　but　cast　up　his　eyes　and　said

something　to　himself；　at　which　the　first　citizen　turned　pale；　and　said

no　more　but　this；　'Then　I　am　a　dead　man　too'；　and　went　home

immediately　and　sent　for　a　neighbouring　apothecary　to　give　him

something　preventive；　for　he　had　not　yet　found　himself　ill；　but　the

apothecary；　opening　his　breast；　fetched　a　sigh；　and　said　no　more　but

this；　'Look　up　to　God'；　and　the　man　died　in　a　few　hours。



Now　let　any　man　judge　from　a　case　like　this　if　it　is　possible　for　the

regulations　of　magistrates；　either　by　shutting　up　the　sick　or　removing

them；　to　stop　an　infection　which　spreads　itself　from　man　to　man　even

while　they　are　perfectly　well　and　insensible　of　its　approach；　and　may

be　so　for　many　days。





End　of　Part　5