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nay；　it　quickly　appeared　that　the　infection　had　spread　itself　beyond　all

hopes　of　abatement。　that　in　the　parish　of　St　Giles　it　was　gotten　into

several　streets；　and　several　families　lay　all　sick　together；　and；

accordingly；　in　the　weekly　bill　for　the　next　week　the　thing　began　to

show　itself。　　There　was　indeed　but　fourteen　set　down　of　the　plague；

but　this　was　all　knavery　and　collusion；　for　in　St　Giles's　parish　they

buried　forty　in　all；　whereof　it　was　certain　most　of　them　died　of　the

plague；　though　they　were　set　down　of　other　distempers；　and　though

the　number　of　all　the　burials　were　not　increased　above　thirty…two；　and

the　whole　bill　being　but　385；　yet　there　was　fourteen　of　the　spotted…

fever；　as　well　as　fourteen　of　the　plague；　and　we　took　it　for　granted

upon　the　whole　that　there　were　fifty　died　that　week　of　the　plague。



The　next　bill　was　from　the　23rd　of　May　to　the　30th；　when　the　number

of　the　plague　was　seventeen。　　But　the　burials　in　St　Giles's　were

fifty…three　…　a　frightful　number！　…　of　whom　they　set　down　but　nine

of　the　plague；　but　on　an　examination　more　strictly　by　the　justices

of　peace；　and　at　the　Lord　Mayor's　request；　it　was　found　there　were

twenty　more　who　were　really　dead　of　the　plague　in　that　parish；

but　had　been　set　down　of　the　spotted…fever　or　other　distempers；

besides　others　concealed。



But　those　were　trifling　things　to　what　followed　immediately　after；

for　now　the　weather　set　in　hot；　and　from　the　first　week　in　June　the

infection　spread　in　a　dreadful　manner；　and　the　bills　rose　high；　the

articles　of　the　fever；　spotted…fever；　and　teeth　began　to　swell；　for　all

that　could　conceal　their　distempers　did　it；　to　prevent　their　neighbours

shunning　and　refusing　to　converse　with　them；　and　also　to　prevent

authority　shutting　up　their　houses；　which；　though　it　was　not　yet

practised；　yet　was　threatened；　and　people　were　extremely　terrified　at

the　thoughts　of　it。



The　second　week　in　June；　the　parish　of　St　Giles；　where　still　the

weight　of　the　infection　lay；　buried　120；　whereof　though　the　bills　said

but　sixty…eight　of　the　plague；　everybody　said　there　had　been　100　at

least；　calculating　it　from　the　usual　number　of　funerals　in　that　parish；

as　above。



Till　this　week　the　city　continued　free；　there　having　never　any　died；

except　that　one　Frenchman　whom　I　mentioned　before；　within　the

whole　ninety…seven　parishes。　　Now　there　died　four　within　the　city；　one

in　Wood　Street；　one　in　Fenchurch　Street；　and　two　in　Crooked　Lane。

Southwark　was　entirely　free；　having　not　one　yet　died　on　that　side　of

the　water。



I　lived　without　Aldgate；　about　midway　between　Aldgate　Church　and

Whitechappel　Bars；　on　the　left　hand　or　north　side　of　the　street；　and　as

the　distemper　had　not　reached　to　that　side　of　the　city；　our

neighbourhood　continued　very　easy。　　But　at　the　other　end　of　the　town

their　consternation　was　very　great：　and　the　richer　sort　of　people；

especially　the　nobility　and　gentry　from　the　west　part　of　the　city；

thronged　out　of　town　with　their　families　and　servants　in　an　unusual

manner；　and　this　was　more　particularly　seen　in　Whitechappel；　that　is　to

say；　the　Broad　Street　where　I　lived；　indeed；　nothing　was　to　be　seen　but

waggons　and　carts；　with　goods；　women；　servants；　children；　&c。；

coaches　filled　with　people　of　the　better　sort　and　horsemen　attending

them；　and　all　hurrying　away；　then　empty　waggons　and　carts　appeared；

and　spare　horses　with　servants；　who；　it　was　apparent；　were　returning

or　sent　from　the　countries　to　fetch　more　people；　besides　innumerable

numbers　of　men　on　horseback；　some　alone；　others　with　servants；　and；

generally　speaking；　all　loaded　with　baggage　and　fitted　out　for

travelling；　as　anyone　might　perceive　by　their　appearance。



This　was　a　very　terrible　and　melancholy　thing　to　see；　and　as　it　was　a

sight　which　I　could　not　but　look　on　from　morning　to　night　（for　indeed

there　was　nothing　else　of　moment　to　be　seen）；　it　filled　me　with　very

serious　thoughts　of　the　misery　that　was　coming　upon　the　city；　and　the

unhappy　condition　of　those　that　would　be　left　in　it。



This　hurry　of　the　people　was　such　for　some　weeks　that　there　was　no

getting　at　the　Lord　Mayor's　door　without　exceeding　difficulty；　there

were　such　pressing　and　crowding　there　to　get　passes　and　certificates

of　health　for　such　as　travelled　abroad；　for　without　these　there　was　no

being　admitted　to　pass　through　the　towns　upon　the　road；　or　to　lodge　in

any　inn。　　Now；　as　there　had　none　died　in　the　city　for　all　this　time；　my

Lord　Mayor　gave　certificates　of　health　without　any　difficulty　to　all

those　who　lived　in　the　ninety…seven　parishes；　and　to　those　within　the

liberties　too　for　a　while。



This　hurry；　I　say；　continued　some　weeks；　that　is　to　say；　all　the　month

of　May　and　June；　and　the　more　because　it　was　rumoured　that　an　order

of　the　Government　was　to　be　issued　out　to　place　turnpikes　and　barriers

on　the　road　to　prevent　people　travelling；　and　that　the　towns　on　the

road　would　not　suffer　people　from　London　to　pass　for　fear　of　bringing

the　infection　along　with　them；　though　neither　of　these　rumours　had

any　foundation　but　in　the　imagination；　especially　at…first。



I　now　began　to　consider　seriously　with　myself　concerning　my　own

case；　and　how　I　should　dispose　of　myself；　that　is　to　say；　whether　I

should　resolve　to　stay　in　London　or　shut　up　my　house　and　flee；　as

many　of　my　neighbours　did。　　I　have　set　this　particular　down　so　fully；

because　I　know　not　but　it　may　be　of　moment　to　those　who　come　after

me；　if　they　come　to　be　brought　to　the　same　distress；　and　to　the　same

manner　of　making　their　choice；　and　therefore　I　desire　this　account

may　pass　with　them　rather　for　a　direction　to　themselves　to　act　by　than

a　history　of　my　actings；　seeing　it　may　not　he　of　one　farthing　value　to

them　to　note　what　became　of　me。



I　had　two　important　things　before　me：　the　one　was　the　carrying　on

my　business　and　shop；　which　was　considerable；　and　in　which　was

embarked　all　my　effects　in　the　world；　and　the　other　was　the

preservation　of　my　life　in　so　dismal　a　calamity　as　I　saw　apparently

was　coming　upon　the　whole　city；　and　which；　however　great　it　was；　my

fears　perhaps；　as　well　as　other　people's；　represented　to　be　much

greater　than　it　could　be。



The　first　consideration　was　of　great　moment　to　me；　my　trade　was　a

saddler；　and　as　my　dealings　were　chiefly　not　by　a　shop　or　chance

trade；　but　among　the　merchants　trading　to　the　English　colonies　in

America；　so　my　effects　lay　very　much　in　the　hands　of　such。　　I　was　a

single　man；　'tis　true；　but　I　had　a　family　of　servants　whom　I　kept　at　my

business；　had　a　house；　shop；　and　warehouses　filled　with　goods；　and；　in

short；　to　leave　them　all　as　things　in　such　a　case　must　be　left　（that　is　to

say；　without　any　overseer　or　person　fit　to　be　trusted　with　them）；　had

been　to　hazard　the　loss　not　only　of　my　trade；　but　of　my　goods；　and

indeed　of　all　I　had　in　the　world。



I　had　an　elder　brother　at　the　same　time　in　London；　and　not　many

years　before　come　over　from　Portugal：　and　advising　with　him；　his

answer　was　in　three　words；　the　same　that　was　given　in　another　case

quite　different；　viz。；　'Master；　save　thyself。'　In　a　word；　he　was　for　my

retiring　into　the　country；　as　he　resolved　to　do　himself　with　his　family；

telling　me　what　he　had；　it　seems；　heard　abroad；　that　the　best

preparation　for　the　plague　was　to　run　away　from　it。　　As　to　my

argument　of　losing　my　trade；　my　goods；　or　debts；　he　quite　confuted

me。　　He　told　me　the　same　thing　which　I　argued　for　my　staying；　viz。；

that　I　would　trust　God　with　my　safety　and　health；　was　the　strongest

repulse　to　my　pretensions　of　losing　my　trade　and　my　goods；　'for'；　says

he；　'is　it　not　as　reasonable　that　you　should　trust　God　with　the　chance　or

risk　of　losing　your　trade；　as　that　you　should　stay　in　so　eminent　a　point

of　danger；　and　trust　Him　with　your　life？'



I　could　not　argue　that　I　was　in　any　strait　as　to　a　place　where　to　go；

having　several　friends　and　relations　in　Northamptonshire；　whence　our

family　first　came　from；　and　particularly；　I　had　an　only　sister　in

Lincolnshire；　very　willing　to　receive　and　entertain　me。



My　brother；　who　had　already　sent　his　wife　and　two　children　into

Bedfordshire；　and　resolved　to　follow　them；　pressed　my　going　very

earnestly；　and　I　had　once　resolved　to　comply　with　his　desires；　but　at

that　time　could　get　no　horse；　for　though　it　is　true　all　the　people　did　not

go　out　of　the　city　of　London；　yet　I　may　venture　to　say　that　in　a　manner

all　the　horses　did；　for　there　was　hardly　a　horse　to　be　bought　or　hired　in

the　whole　city　for　some　weeks。　　Once　I　resolved　to　travel　on　foot　with

one　servant；　and；　as　many　did；　lie　at　no　inn；　but　carry　a　soldier's　tent

with　us；　and　so　lie　in　the　fields；　the　weather　being　very　warm；　and　no

danger　from　taking　cold。　　I　say；　as　many　did；　because　several　did　so　at

last；　especially　those　who　had　been　in　the　armies　in　the　war　which　had

not　been　many　years　past；　and　I　must　needs　say　that；　speaking　of

second　causes；　had　most　of　the　people　that　travelled　done　so；　the　plague

had　not　been　carried　into　so　many　country　towns　and　houses　as　it　was；

to　the　great　damage；　and　indeed　to　the　ruin；　of　abundance　of　people。



But　then　my　servant；　whom　I　had　intended　to　take　down　with　me；

deceived　me；　and　being　frighted　at　the　increase　of　the　distemper；　and

not　knowing　when　I　should　go；　he　took　other　measures；　and　left　me；

so　I　was　put　off　for　that　time；　and；　one　way　or　other；　I　always　found

that　to　appoint　to　go　away　was　always　crossed　by　some　accident　or

other；　so　as　to　disappoint　and　put　it　off　again；　and　this　brings　in

a　story　which　otherwise　might　be　thought　a　needless　digression；　viz。；

about　these　disappointments　being　from　Heaven。



I　mention　this　story　also　as　the　best　method　I　can　advise　any　person

to　take　in　such　a　case；　especially　if　he　be　one　that　makes　conscience　of

his　duty；　and　would　be　directed　what　to　do　in　it；　namely；　that　he

should　keep　his　eye　upon　the　particular　providences　which　occur　at

that　time；　and　look　upo