part5-第8章

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either　to　expose　themselves　or　undertake　the　care　and　weight　of

business；　for；　to　do　them　justice；　they　neither　spared　their　pains　nor

their　persons。　　But　nothing　answered；　the　infection　raged；　and　the

people　were　now　frighted　and　terrified　to　the　last　degree：　so　that；　as　I

may　say；　they　gave　themselves　up；　and；　as　I　mentioned　above；

abandoned　themselves　to　their　despair。



But　let　me　observe　here　that；　when　I　say　the　people　abandoned

themselves　to　despair；　I　do　not　mean　to　what　men　call　a　religious

despair；　or　a　despair　of　their　eternal　state；　but　I　mean　a　despair　of　their

being　able　to　escape　the　infection　or　to　outlive　the　plague。　which　they

saw　was　so　raging　and　so　irresistible　in　its　force　that　indeed　few

people　that　were　touched　with　it　in　its　height；　about　August　and

September；　escaped；　and；　which　is　very　particular；　contrary　to　its

ordinary　operation　in　June　and　July；　and　the　beginning　of　August；

when；　as　I　have　observed；　many　were　infected；　and　continued　so　many

days；　and　then　went　off　after　having　had　the　poison　in　their　blood　a

long　time；　but　now；　on　the　contrary；　most　of　the　people　who　were

taken　during　the　two　last　weeks　in　August　and　in　the　three　first　weeks

in　September；　generally　died　in　two　or　three　days　at　furthest；　and

many　the　very　same　day　they　were　taken；　whether　the　dog…days；　or；　as

our　astrologers　pretended　to　express　themselves；　the　influence　of　the

dog…star；　had　that　malignant　effect；　or　all　those　who　had　the　seeds　of

infection　before　in　them　brought　it　up　to　a　maturity　at　that　time

altogether；　I　know　not；　but　this　was　the　time　when　it　was　reported　that

above　3000　people　died　in　one　night；　and　they　that　would　have　us

believe　they　more　critically　observed　it　pretend　to　say　that　they　all

died　within　the　space　of　two　hours；　viz。；　between　the　hours　of　one　and

three　in　the　morning。



As　to　the　suddenness　of　people's　dying　at　this　time；　more　than

before；　there　were　innumerable　instances　of　it；　and　I　could　name

several　in　my　neighbourhood。　　One　family　without　the　Bars；　and　not

far　from　me；　were　all　seemingly　well　on　the　Monday；　being　ten　in

family。　　That　evening　one　maid　and　one　apprentice　were　taken　ill　and

died　the　next　morning　…　when　the　other　apprentice　and　two　children

were　touched；　whereof　one　died　the　same　evening；　and　the　other　two

on　Wednesday。　　In　a　word；　by　Saturday　at　noon　the　master；　mistress；

four　children；　and　four　servants　were　all　gone；　and　the　house　left

entirely　empty；　except　an　ancient　woman　who　came　in　to　take　charge

of　the　goods　for　the　master　of　the　family's　brother；　who　lived　not　far

off；　and　who　had　not　been　sick。



Many　houses　were　then　left　desolate；　all　the　people　being　carried

away　dead；　and　especially　in　an　alley　farther　on　the　same　side　beyond

the　Bars；　going　in　at　the　sign　of　Moses　and　Aaron；　there　were　several

houses　together　which；　they　said；　had　not　one　person　left　alive　in

them；　and　some　that　died　last　in　several　of　those　houses　were　left　a

little　too　long　before　they　were　fetched　out　to　be　buried；　the　reason　of

which　was　not；　as　some　have　written　very　untruly；　that　the　living　were

not　sufficient　to　bury　the　dead；　but　that　the　mortality　was　so　great　in

the　yard　or　alley　that　there　was　nobody　left　to　give　notice　to　the

buriers　or　sextons　that　there　were　any　dead　bodies　there　to　be　buried。

It　was　said；　how　true　I　know　not；　that　some　of　those　bodies　were　so

much　corrupted　and　so　rotten　that　it　was　with　difficulty　they　were

carried；　and　as　the　carts　could　not　come　any　nearer　than　to　the　Alley

Gate　in　the　High　Street；　it　was　so　much　the　more　difficult　to　bring

them　along；　but　I　am　not　certain　how　many　bodies　were　then　left。　　I

am　sure　that　ordinarily　it　was　not　so。



As　I　have　mentioned　how　the　people　were　brought　into　a　condition

to　despair　of　life　and　abandon　themselves；　so　this　very　thing　had　a

strange　effect　among　us　for　three　or　four　weeks；　that　is；　it　made　them

bold　and　venturous：　they　were　no　more　shy　of　one　another；　or

restrained　within　doors；　but　went　anywhere　and　everywhere；　and

began　to　converse。　　One　would　say　to　another；　'I　do　not　ask　you　how

you　are；　or　say　how　I　am；　it　is　certain　we　shall　all　go；　so　'tis　no　matter

who　is　all　sick　or　who　is　sound'；　and　so　they　ran　desperately　into　any

place　or　any　company。



As　it　brought　the　people　into　public　company；　so　it　was　surprising

how　it　brought　them　to　crowd　into　the　churches。　　They　inquired　no

more　into　whom　they　sat　near　to　or　far　from；　what　offensive　smells

they　met　with；　or　what　condition　the　people　seemed　to　be　in；　but；

looking　upon　themselves　all　as　so　many　dead　corpses；　they　came　to

the　churches　without　the　least　caution；　and　crowded　together　as　if

their　lives　were　of　no　consequence　compared　to　the　work　which　they

came　about　there。　　Indeed；　the　zeal　which　they　showed　in　coming；　and

the　earnestness　and　affection　they　showed　in　their　attention　to　what

they　heard；　made　it　manifest　what　a　value　people　would　all　put　upon

the　worship　of　God　if　they　thought　every　day　they　attended　at　the

church　that　it　would　be　their　last。



Nor　was　it　without　other　strange　effects；　for　it　took　away；　all　manner

of　prejudice　at　or　scruple　about　the　person　whom　they　found　in　the

pulpit　when　they　came　to　the　churches。　　It　cannot　be　doubted　but　that

many　of　the　ministers　of　the　parish　churches　were　cut　off；　among

others；　in　so　common　and　dreadful　a　calamity；　and　others　had　not

courage　enough　to　stand　it；　but　removed　into　the　country　as　they　found

means　for　escape。　　As　then　some　parish　churches　were　quite　vacant

and　forsaken；　the　people　made　no　scruple　of　desiring　such　Dissenters

as　had　been　a　few　years　before　deprived　of　their　livings　by　virtue　of

the　Act　of　Parliament　called　the　Act　of　Uniformity　to　preach　in　the

churches；　nor　did　the　church　ministers　in　that　case　make　any　difficulty

of　accepting　their　assistance；　so　that　many　of　those　whom　they　called

silenced　ministers　had　their　mouths　opened　on　this　occasion　and

preached　publicly　to　the　people。



Here　we　may　observe　and　I　hope　it　will　not　be　amiss　to　take　notice

of　it　that　a　near　view　of　death　would　soon　reconcile　men　of　good

principles　one　to　another；　and　that　it　is　chiefly　owing　to　our　easy

situation　in　life　and　our　putting　these　things　far　from　us　that　our

breaches　are　fomented；　ill　blood　continued；　prejudices；　breach　of

charity　and　of　Christian　union；　so　much　kept　and　so　far　carried　on

among　us　as　it　is。　　Another　plague　year　would　reconcile　all　these

differences；　a　dose　conversing　with　death；　or　with　diseases　that

threaten　death；　would　scum　off　the　gall　from　our　tempers；　remove　the

animosities　among　us；　and　bring　us　to　see　with　differing　eyes　than

those　which　we　looked　on　things　with　before。　　As　the　people　who　had

been　used　to　join　with　the　Church　were　reconciled　at　this　time　with

the　admitting　the　Dissenters　to　preach　to　them；　so　the　Dissenters；　who

with　an　uncommon　prejudice　had　broken　off　from　the　communion　of

the　Church　of　England；　were　now　content　to　come　to　their　parish

churches　and　to　conform　to　the　worship　which　they　did　not　approve　of

before；　but　as　the　terror　of　the　infection　abated；　those　things　all

returned　again　to　their　less　desirable　channel　and　to　the　course　they

were　in　before。



I　mention　this　but　historically。　　I　have　no　mind　to　enter　into

arguments　to　move　either　or　both　sides　to　a　more　charitable

compliance　one　with　another。　　I　do　not　see　that　it　is　probable　such　a

discourse　would　be　either　suitable　or　successful；　the　breaches　seem

rather　to　widen；　and　tend　to　a　widening　further；　than　to　closing；　and

who　am　I　that　I　should　think　myself　able　to　influence　either　one　side

or　other？　　But　this　I　may　repeat　again；　that　'tis　evident　death　will

reconcile　us　all；　on　the　other　side　the　grave　we　shall　be　all　brethren

again。　　In　heaven；　whither　I　hope　we　may　come　from　all　parties　and

persuasions；　we　shall　find　neither　prejudice　or　scruple；　there　we　shall

be　of　one　principle　and　of　one　opinion。　　Why　we　cannot　be