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or　no　service　in　the　whole。　　Nay；　I　am　of　opinion　it　was　rather　hurtful；

having　forced　those　desperate　people　to　wander　abroad　with　the

plague　upon　them；　who　would　otherwise　have　died　quietly　in　their　beds。



I　remember　one　citizen　who；　having　thus　broken　out　of　his　house　in

Aldersgate　Street　or　thereabout；　went　along　the　road　to　Islington；　he

attempted　to　have　gone　in　at　the　Angel　Inn；　and　after　that　the　White

Horse；　two　inns　known　still　by　the　same　signs；　but　was　refused；　after

which　he　came　to　the　Pied　Bull；　an　inn　also　still　continuing　the　same

sign。　　He　asked　them　for　lodging　for　one　night　only；　pretending　to　be

going　into　Lincolnshire；　and　assuring　them　of　his　being　very　sound

and　free　from　the　infection；　which　also　at　that　time　had　not　reached

much　that　way。



They　told　him　they　had　no　lodging　that　they　could　spare　but　one　bed

up　in　the　garret；　and　that　they　could　spare　that　bed　for　one　night；　some

drovers　being　expected　the　next　day　with　cattle；　so；　if　he　would　accept

of　that　lodging；　he　might　have　it；　which　he　did。　　So　a　servant　was　sent

up　with　a　candle　with　him　to　show　him　the　room。　　He　was　very　well

dressed；　and　looked　like　a　person　not　used　to　lie　in　a　garret；　and　when

he　came　to　the　room　he　fetched　a　deep　sigh；　and　said　to　the　servant；　'I

have　seldom　lain　in　such　a　lodging　as　this。　'However；　the　servant

assuring　him　again　that　they　had　no　better；　'Well；'　says　he；　'I　must

make　shift；　this　is　a　dreadful　time；　but　it　is　but　for　one　night。'　So　he　sat

down　upon　the　bedside；　and　bade　the　maid；　I　think　it　was；　fetch　him

up　a　pint　of　warm　ale。　　Accordingly　the　servant　went　for　the　ale；　but

some　hurry　in　the　house；　which　perhaps　employed　her　other　ways；　put

it　out　of　her　head；　and　she　went　up　no　more　to　him。



The　next　morning；　seeing　no　appearance　of　the　gentleman；

somebody　in　the　house　asked　the　servant　that　had　showed　him　upstairs

what　was　become　of　him。　　She　started。　　'Alas　l'　says　she；　'I　never

thought　more　of　him。　　He　bade　me　carry　him　some　warm　ale；　but　I

forgot。'　Upon　which；　not　the　maid；　but　some　other　person　was　sent　up

to　see　after　him；　who；　coming　into　the　room；　found　him　stark　dead　and

almost　cold；　stretched　out　across　the　bed。　　His　clothes　were　pulled　off；

his　jaw　fallen；　his　eyes　open　in　a　most　frightful　posture；　the　rug　of　the

bed　being　grasped　hard　in　one　of　his　hands；　so　that　it　was　plain　he

died　soon　after　the　maid　left　him；　and　'tis　probable；　had　she　gone　up

with　the　ale；　she　had　found　him　dead　in　a　few　minutes　after　he　sat

down　upon　the　bed。　　The　alarm　was　great　in　the　house；　as　anyone　may

suppose；　they　having　been　free　from　the　distemper　till　that　disaster；

which；　bringing　the　infection　to　the　house；　spread　it　immediately　to

other　houses　round　about　it。　　I　do　not　remember　how　many　died　in　the

house　itself；　but　I　think　the　maid…servant　who　went　up　first　with　him

fell　presently　ill　by　the　fright；　and　several　others；　for；　whereas　there

died　but　two　in　Islington　of　the　plague　the　week　before；　there　died

seventeen　the　week　after；　whereof　fourteen　were　of　the　plague。　　This

was　in　the　week　from　the　11th　of　July　to　the　18th。



There　was　one　shift　that　some　families　had；　and　that　not　a　few；

when　their　houses　happened　to　be　infected；　and　that　was　this：　the

families　who；　in　the　first　breaking…out　of　the　distemper；　fled　away　into

the　country　and　had　retreats　among　their　friends；　generally　found

some　or　other　of　their　neighbours　or　relations　to　commit　the　charge　of

those　houses　to　for　the　safety　of　the　goods　and　the　like。　　Some　houses

were；　indeed；　entirely　locked　up；　the　doors　padlocked；　the　windows

and　doors　having　deal　boards　nailed　over　them；　and　only　the

inspection　of　them　committed　to　the　ordinary　watchmen　and　parish

officers；　bat　these　were　but　few。



It　was　thought　that　there　were　not　less　than　10；000　houses　forsaken

of　the　inhabitants　in　the　city　and　suburbs；　including　what　was　in　the

out…parishes　and　in　Surrey；　or　the　side　of　the　water　they　called

Southwark。　　This　was　besides　the　numbers　of　lodgers；　and　of

particular　persons　who　were　fled　out　of　other　families；　so　that　in　all　it

was　computed　that　about　200；000　people　were　fled　and　gone。　　But　of

this　I　shall　speak　again。　　But　I　mention　it　here　on　this　account；　namely；

that　it　was　a　rule　with　those　who　had　thus　two　houses　in　their　keeping

or　care；　that　if　anybody　was　taken　sick　in　a　family；　before　the　master

of　the　family　let　the　examiners　or　any　other　officer　know　of　it；　he

immediately　would　send　all　the　rest　of　his　family；　whether　children　or

servants；　as　it　fell　out　to　be；　to　such　other　house　which　he　had　so　in

charge；　and　then　giving　notice　of　the　sick　person　to　the　examiner；

have　a　nurse　or　nurses　appointed；　and　have　another　person　to　be　shut

up　in　the　house　with　them　（which　many　for　money　would　do）；　so　to

take　charge　of　the　house　in　case　the　person　should　die。



This　was；　in　many　cases；　the　saving　a　whole　family；　who；　if　they　had

been　shut　up　with　the　sick　person；　would　inevitably　have　perished。

But；　on　the　other　hand；　this　was　another　of　the　inconveniences　of

shutting　up　houses；　for　the　apprehensions　and　terror　of　being　shut　up

made　many　run　away　with　the　rest　of　the　family；　who；　though　it　was

not　publicly　known；　and　they　were　not　quite　sick；　had　yet　the

distemper　upon　them；　and　who；　by　having　an　uninterrupted　liberty　to

go　about；　but　being　obliged　still　to　conceal　their　circumstances；　or

perhaps　not　knowing　it　themselves；　gave　the　distemper　to　others；　and

spread　the　infection　in　a　dreadful　manner；　as　I　shall　explain　further

hereafter。



And　here　I　may　be　able　to　make　an　observation　or　two　of　my　own；

which　may　be　of　use　hereafter　to　those　into　whose　bands　these　may

come；　if　they　should　ever　see　the　like　dreadful　visitation。　（1）　The

infection　generally　came　into　the　houses　of　the　citizens　by　the　means

of　their　servants；　whom　they　were　obliged　to　send　up　and　down　the

streets　for　necessaries；　that　is　to　say；　for　food　or　physic；　to

bakehouses；　brew…houses；　shops；　&c。；　and　who　going　necessarily

through　the　streets　into　shops；　markets；　and　the　like；　it　was　impossible

but　that　they　should；　one　way　or

other；　meet　with　distempered　people；　who　conveyed　the　fatal　breath

into　them；　and　they　brought　it　home　to　the　families　to　which　they

belonged。　（2）　It　was　a　great　mistake　that　such　a　great　city　as　this　had

but　one　pest…house；　for　had　there　been；　instead　of　one　pest…house　…

viz。；　beyond　Bunhill　Fields；　where；　at　most；　they　could　receive；

perhaps；　two　hundred　or　three　hundred　people　…　I　say；　had　there；

instead　of　that　one；　been　several　pest…houses；　every　one　able　to

contain　a　thousand　people；　without　lying　two　in　a　bed；　or　two　beds　in

a　room；　and　had　every　master　of　a　family；　as　soon　as　any　servant

especially　had　been　taken　sick　in　his　house；　been　obliged　to　send　them

to　the　next　pest…house；　if　they　were　willing；　as　many　were；　and　had　the

examiners　done　the　like　among　the　poor　people　when　any　had　been

stricken　with　the　infection；　I　say；　had　this　been　done　where　the　people

were　willing　（not　otherwise）；　and　the　houses　not　been　shut；　I　am

persuaded；　and　was　all　the　while　of　that　opinion；　that　not　so　many；　by

several　thousands；　had　died；　for　it　was　observed；　and　I　could　give

several　instances　within　the　compass　of　my　own　knowledge；　where　a

servant　had　been　taken　sick；　and　the　family　had　either　time　to　send

him　out　or　retire　from　the　house　and　leave　the　sick　person；　as　I　have

said　above；　they　had　all　been　preserved；　whereas　when；　upon　one　or

more　sickening　in　a　family；　the　house　has　been　shut　up；　the　whole

family　have　perished；　and　the　bearers　been　obliged　to　go　in　to　fetch

out　the　dead　bodies；　not　being　able　to　bring　them　to　the　door；　and　at

last　none　left　to　do　it。



（3）　This　put　it　out　of　question　to　me；　that　the　calamity　was　spread　by

infection；　that　is　to　say；　by　some　certain　steams　or　fumes；　which　the

physicians　call　effluvia；　by　the　breath；　or　by　the　sweat；　or　by　the

stench　of　the　sores　of　the　sick　persons；　or　some　other　way；　perhaps；

beyond　even　the　reach　of　the　physicians　themselves；　which　effluvia

affected　the　sound　who　came　within　certain　distances　of　the　sick；

immediately　penetrating　the　vital　parts　of　the　said　sound　persons；

putting　their　blood　into　an　immediate　ferment；　and　agitating　their

spirits　to　that　degree　which　it　was　found　they　were　agitated；　and　so

those　newly　infected　persons　communicated　it　in　the　same　manner　to

others。　　And　this　I　shall　give　some　instances　of；　that　cannot　but

convince　those　who　seriously　consider　it；　and　I　cannot　but　with　some

wonder　find　some　people；　now　the　contagion　is　over；　talk　of　its　being

an　immediate　stroke　from　Heaven；　without　the　agency　of　means；

having　commission　to　strike　this　and　that　particular　person；　and　none

other　…　which　I　look　upon　with　contempt　as　the　effect　of　manifest

ignorance　and　enthusiasm；　likewise　the　opinion　of　others；　who　talk　of

infection　being　carried　on　by　the　air　only；　by　carrying　with　it　vast

numbers　of　insects　and　invisible　creatures；　who　enter　into　the　body

with　the　breath；　or　even　at　the　pores　with　the　air；　and　there　generate　or

emit　most　acute　poisons；　or　poisonous　ovae　or　eggs；　which　mingle

themselves　with　the　blood；　and　so　infect　the　body：　a　discourse　full　of

learned　simplicity；　and　manifested　to　be　so　by　universal　experience；

but　I　shall　say　more　to　this　case　in　its　order。



I　must　here　take　further　notice　that　nothing　was　more　fatal　to　the

inhabitants　of　this　city　than　the　supine　negligence　of　the　people

themselves；　who；　during　the　long　notice　or　warning　they　had　of　the

visitation；　made　no　provision　for　it　by　laying　in　store　of　provisions；　or

of　other　necessaries；　by　which　they　might　have　lived　retired　and

within　their　own　houses；　as　I　have　observed　others　did；　and　who　were

in　a　great　measure　preserved　by　that　caution；　nor　were　they；　after　they

were　a　little　hardened　to　it；　so　shy　of　conversing　with　one　another；

when　actually　infected；　as　they