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

when　actually　infected；　as　they　were　at　first：　no；　though　they　knew　it。



I　acknowledge　I　was　one　of　those　thoughtless　ones　that　had　made　so

little　provision　that　my　servants　were　obliged　to　go　out　of　doors　to　buy

every　trifle　by　penny　and　halfpenny；　just　as　before　it　began；　even　till

my　experience　showing　me　the　folly；　I　began　to　be　wiser　so　late　that　I

had　scarce　time　to　store　myself　sufficient　for　our　common　subsistence

for　a　month。



I　had　in　family　only　an　ancient　woman　that　managed　the　house；　a

maid…servant；　two　apprentices；　and　myself；　and　the　plague　beginning

to　increase　about　us；　I　had　many　sad　thoughts　about　what　course　I

should　take；　and　how　I　should　act。　　The　many　dismal　objects　which

happened　everywhere　as　I　went　about　the　streets；　had　filled　my　mind

with　a　great　deal　of　horror　for　fear　of　the　distemper；　which　was　indeed

very　horrible　in　itself；　and　in　some　more　than　in　others。　　The

swellings；　which　were　generally　in　the　neck　or　groin；　when　they　grew

hard　and　would　not　break；　grew　so　painful　that　it　was　equal　to　the

most　exquisite　torture；　and　some；　not　able　to　bear　the　torment；　threw

themselves　out　at　windows　or　shot　themselves；　or　otherwise　made

themselves　away；　and　I　saw　several　dismal　objects　of　that　kind。

Others；　unable　to　contain　themselves；　vented　their　pain　by　incessant

roarings；　and　such　loud　and　lamentable　cries　were　to　be　heard　as　we

walked　along　the　streets　that　would　pierce　the　very　heart　to　think　of；

especially　when　it　was　to　be　considered　that　the　same　dreadful

scourge　might　be　expected　every　moment　to　seize　upon　ourselves。



I　cannot　say　but　that　now　I　began　to　faint　in　my　resolutions；　my

heart　failed　me　very　much；　and　sorely　I　repented　of　my　rashness。

When　I　had　been　out；　and　met　with　such　terrible　things　as　these　I　have

talked　of；　I　say　I　repented　my　rashness　in　venturing　to　abide　in　town。　　I

wished　often　that　I　had　not　taken　upon　me　to　stay；　but　had　gone　away

with　my　brother　and　his　family。



Terrified　by　those　frightful　objects；　I　would　retire　home　sometimes

and　resolve　to　go　out　no　more；　and　perhaps　I　would　keep　those

resolutions　for　three　or　four　days；　which　time　I　spent　in　the　most

serious　thankfulness　for　my　preservation　and　the　preservation　of　my

family；　and　the　constant　confession　of　my　sins；　giving　myself　up　to

God　every　day；　and　applying　to　Him　with　fasting；　humiliation；　and

meditation。　　Such　intervals　as　I　had　I　employed　in　reading　books　and

in　writing　down　my　memorandums　of　what　occurred　to　me　every　day；

and　out　of　which　afterwards　I　took　most　of　this　work；　as　it　relates　to

my　observations　without　doors。　　What　I　wrote　of　my　private

meditations　I　reserve　for　private　use；　and　desire　it　may　not　be　made

public　on　any　account　whatever。



I　also　wrote　other　meditations　upon　divine　subjects；　such　as

occurred　to　me　at　that　time　and　were　profitable　to　myself；　but　not　fit

for　any　other　view；　and　therefore　I　say　no　more　of　that。



I　had　a　very　good　friend；　a　physician；　whose　name　was　Heath；　whom

I　frequently　visited　during　this　dismal　time；　and　to　whose　advice　I　was

very　much　obliged　for　many　things　which　he　directed　me　to　take；　by

way　of　preventing　the　infection　when　I　went　out；　as　he　found　I

frequently　did；　and　to　hold　in　my　mouth　when　I　was　in　the　streets。　　He

also　came　very　often　to　see　me；　and　as　he　was　a　good　Christian　as　well

as　a　good　physician；　his　agreeable　conversation　was　a　very　great

support　to　me　in　the　worst　of　this　terrible　time。



It　was　now　the　beginning　of　August；　and　the　plague　grew　very

violent　and　terrible　in　the　place　where　I　lived；　and　Dr　Heath　coming　to

visit　me；　and　finding　that　I　ventured　so　often　out　in　the　streets；

earnestly　persuaded　me　to　lock　myself　up　and　my　family；　and　not　to

suffer　any　of　us　to　go　out　of　doors；　to　keep　all　our　windows　fast；

shutters　and　curtains　close；　and　never　to　open　them；　but　first；　to　make

a　very　strong　smoke　in　the　room　where　the　window　or　door　was　to　be

opened；　with　rozen　and　pitch；　brimstone　or　gunpowder　and　the　like；

and　we　did　this　for　some　time；　but　as　I　had　not　laid　in　a　store　of

provision　for　such　a　retreat；　it　was　impossible　that　we　could　keep

within　doors　entirely。　　However；　I　attempted；　though　it　was　so　very

late；　to　do　something　towards　it；　and　first；　as　I　had　convenience　both

for　brewing　and　baking；　I　went　and　bought　two　sacks　of　meal；　and　for

several　weeks；　having　an　oven；　we　baked　all　our　own　bread；　also　I

bought　malt；　and　brewed　as　much　beer　as　all　the　casks　I　had　would

hold；　and　which　seemed　enough　to　serve　my　house　for　five　or　six

weeks；　also　I　laid　in　a　quantity　of　salt　butter　and　Cheshire　cheese；　but

I　had　no　flesh…meat；　and　the　plague　raged　so　violently　among　the

butchers　and　slaughter…houses　on　the　other　side　of　our　street；　where

they　are　known　to　dwell　in　great　numbers；　that　it　was　not　advisable　so

much　as　to　go　over　the　street　among　them。



And　here　I　must　observe　again；　that　this　necessity　of　going　out　of

our　houses　to　buy　provisions　was　in　a　great　measure　the　ruin　of　the

whole　city；　for　the　people　catched　the　distemper　on　these　occasions

one　of　another；　and　even　the　provisions　themselves　were　often　tainted；

at　least　I　have　great　reason　to　believe　so；　and　therefore　I　cannot　say

with　satisfaction　what　I　know　is　repeated　with　great　assurance；　that

the　market…people　and　such　as　brought　provisions　to　town　were　never

infected。　　I　am　certain　the　butchers　of　Whitechappel；　where　the　greatest

part　of　the　flesh…meat　was　killed；　were　dreadfully　visited；　and　that　at

least　to　such　a　degree　that　few　of　their　shops　were　kept　open；　and

those　that　remained　of　them　killed　their　meat　at　Mile　End　and　that

way；　and　brought　it　to　market　upon　horses。



However；　the　poor　people　could　not　lay　up　provisions；　and　there　was

a　necessity　that　they　must　go　to　market　to　buy；　and　others　to　send

servants　or　their　children；　and　as　this　was　a　necessity　which　renewed

itself　daily；　it　brought　abundance　of　unsound　people　to　the　markets；

and　a　great　many　that　went　thither　sound　brought　death　home　with　them。



It　is　true　people　used　all　possible　precaution。　　When　any　one　bought

a　joint　of　meat　in　the　market　they　would　not　take　it　off　the　butcher's

hand；　but　took　it　off　the　hooks　themselves。　　On　the　other　hand；　the

butcher　would　not　touch　the　money；　but　have　it　put　into　a　pot　full　of

vinegar；　which　he　kept　for　that　purpose。　　The　buyer　carried　always

small　money　to　make　up　any　odd　sum；　that　they　might　take　no　change。

They　carried　bottles　of　scents　and　perfumes　in　their　hands；　and　all　the

means　that　could　be　used　were　used；　but　then　the　poor　could　not　do

even　these　things；　and　they　went　at　all　hazards。



Innumerable　dismal　stories　we　heard　every　day　on　this　very　account。

Sometimes　a　man　or　woman　dropped　down　dead　in　the　very　markets；

for　many　people　that　had　the　plague　upon　them　knew　nothing　of　it　till

the　inward　gangrene　had　affected　their　vitals；　and　they　died　in　a　few

moments。　　This　caused　that　many　died　frequently　in　that　manner　in

the　streets　suddenly；　without　any　warning；　others　perhaps　had　time　to

go　to　the　next　bulk　or　stall；　or　to　any　door…porch；　and　just　sit　down　and

die；　as　I　have　said　before。



These　objects　were　so　frequent　in　the　streets　that　when　the　plague

came　to　be　very　raging　on　one　side；　there　was　scarce　any　passing　by

the　streets　but　that　several　dead　bodies　would　be　lying　here　and　there

upon　the　ground。　　On　the　other　hand；　it　is　observable　that　though　at

first　the　people　would　stop　as　they　went　along　and　call　to　the

neighbours　to　come　out　on　such　an　occasion；　yet　afterward　no　notice

was　taken　of　them；　but　that　if　at　any　time　we　found　a　corpse　lying；　go

across　the　way　and　not　come　near　it；　or；　if　in　a　narrow　lane　or　passage；

go　back　again　and　seek　some　other　way　to　go　on　the　business　we　were

upon；　and　in　those　cases　the　corpse　was　always　left　till　the　officers

had　notice　to　come　and　take　them　away；　or　till　night；　when　the　bearers

attending　the　dead…cart　would　take　them　up　and　carry　them　away。　　Nor

did　those　undaunted　creatures　who　performed　these　offices　fail　to

search　their　pockets；　and　sometimes　strip　off　their　clothes　if　they　were

well　dressed；　as　sometimes　they　were；　and　carry　off　what　they　could　get。



But　to　return　to　the　markets。　　The　butchers　took　that　care　that　if　any

person　died　in　the　market　they　had　the　officers　always　at　band　to　take

them　up　upon　hand…barrows　and　carry　them　to　the　next　churchyard；

and　this　was　so　frequent　that　such　were　not　entered　in　the　weekly　bill；

'Found　dead　in　the　streets　or　fields'；　as　is　the　case　now；　but　they　went

into　the　general　articles　of　the　great　distemper。



But　now　the　fury　of　the　distemper　increased　to　such　a　degree　that

even　the　markets　were　but　very　thinly　furnished　with　provisions　or

frequented　with　buyers　compared　to　what　they　were　before；　and　the

Lord　Mayor　caused　the　country　people　who　brought　provisions　to　be

stopped　in　the　streets　leading　into　the　town；　and　to　sit　down　there　with

their　goods；　where　they　sold　what　they　brought；　and　went　immediately

away；　and　this　encouraged　the　country　people　greatly…to　do　so；　for

they　sold　their　provisions　at　the　very　entrances　into　the　town；　and　even

in　the　fields；　as　particularly　in　the　fields　beyond　Whitechappel；　in

Spittlefields；　also　in　St　George's　Fields　in　Southwark；　in　Bunhill

Fields；　and　in　a　great　field　called　Wood's　Close；　near　Islington。

Thither　the　Lord　Mayor；　aldermen；　and　magistrates　sent　their　officers

and　servants　to　buy　for　their　families；　themselves　keeping　within

doors　as　much　as　possible；　and　the　like　did　many　other　people；　and

after　this　method　was　taken　the　country　people　came　with　great

cheerfulness；　and　brought　provisions　of　all　sorts；　and　very　seldom　got

any　harm；　which；　I　suppose；　added　also　to　that　report　of　their　being

miraculously　preserved。



As　for　my　little　family；　having　thus；　as　I　have　said；　laid