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infected　neither。



He　never　used　any　preservative　against　the　infection；　other　than

holding　garlic　and　rue　in　his　mouth；　and　smoking　tobacco。　　This　I　also

had　from　his　own　mouth。　　And　his　wife's　remedy　was　washing　her　head

in　vinegar　and　sprinkling　her　head…clothes　so　with　vinegar　as　to

keep　them　always　moist；　and　if　the　smell　of　any　of　those　she　waited

on　was　more　than　ordinary　offensive；　she　snuffed　vinegar　up　her　nose

and　sprinkled　vinegar　upon　her　head…clothes；　and　held　a　handkerchief

wetted　with　vinegar　to　her　mouth。



It　must　be　confessed　that　though　the　plague　was　chiefly　among　the

poor；　yet　were　the　poor　the　most　venturous　and　fearless　of　it；　and　went

about　their　employment　with　a　sort　of　brutal　courage；　I　must　call　it　so；

for　it　was　founded　neither　on　religion　nor　prudence；　scarce　did　they

use　any　caution；　but　ran　into　any　business　which　they　could　get

employment　in；　though　it　was　the　most　hazardous。　　Such　was　that　of

tending　the　sick；　watching　houses　shut　up；　carrying　infected　persons　to

the　pest…house；　and；　which　was　still　worse；　carrying　the　dead　away　to

their　graves。



It　was　under　this　John　Hayward's　care；　and　within　his　bounds；　that

the　story　of　the　piper；　with　which　people　have　made　themselves　so

merry；　happened；　and　he　assured　me　that　it　was　true。　　It　is　said　that　it

was　a　blind　piper；　but；　as　John　told　me；　the　fellow　was　not　blind；　but

an　ignorant；　weak；　poor　man；　and　usually　walked　his　rounds　about　ten

o'clock　at　night　and　went　piping　along　from　door　to　door；　and　the

people　usually　took　him　in　at　public…houses　where　they　knew　him；　and

would　give　him　drink　and　victuals；　and　sometimes　farthings；　and　he　in

return　would　pipe　and　sing　and　talk　simply；　which　diverted　the

people；　and　thus　he　lived。　　It　was　but　a　very　bad　time　for　this　diversion

while　things　were　as　I　have　told；　yet　the　poor　fellow　went　about　as

usual；　but　was　almost　starved；　and　when　anybody　asked　how　he　did　he

would　answer；　the　dead　cart　had　not　taken　him　yet；　but　that　they　had

promised　to　call　for　him　next　week。



It　happened　one　night　that　this　poor　fellow；　whether　somebody　had

given　him　too　much　drink　or　no　…　John　Hayward　said　he　had　not　drink

in　his　house；　but　that　they　had　given　him　a　little　more　victuals　than

ordinary　at　a　public…house　in　Coleman　Street　…　and　the　poor　fellow；

having　not　usually　had　a　bellyful　for　perhaps　not　a　good　while；　was

laid　all　along　upon　the　top　of　a　bulk　or　stall；　and　fast　asleep；　at　a　door

in　the　street　near　London　Wall；　towards　Cripplegate…；　and　that　upon

the　same　bulk　or　stall　the　people　of　some　house；　in　the　alley　of　which

the　house　was　a　corner；　hearing　a　bell　which　they　always　rang　before

the　cart　came；　had　laid　a　body　really　dead　of　the　plague　just　by　him；

thinking；　too；　that　this　poor　fellow　had　been　a　dead　body；　as　the　other

was；　and　laid　there　by　some　of　the　neighbours。



Accordingly；　when　John　Hayward　with　his　bell　and　the　cart　came

along；　finding　two　dead　bodies　lie　upon　the　stall；　they　took　them　up

with　the　instrument　they　used　and　threw　them　into　the　cart；　and；　all

this　while　the　piper　slept　soundly。



From　hence　they　passed　along　and　took　in　other　dead　bodies；　till；　as

honest　John　Hayward　told　me；　they　almost　buried　him　alive　in　the

cart；　yet　all　this　while　he　slept　soundly。　　At　length　the　cart　came　to　the

place　where　the　bodies　were　to　be　thrown　into　the　ground；　which；　as　I

do　remember；　was　at　Mount　Mill；　and　as　the　cart　usually　stopped

some　time　before　they　were　ready　to　shoot　out　the　melancholy　load

they　had　in　it；　as　soon　as　the　cart　stopped　the　fellow　awaked　and

struggled　a　little　to　get　his　head　out　from　among　the　dead　bodies；

when；　raising　himself　up　in　the　cart；　he　called　out；　'Hey！　where　am　I？'

This　frighted　the　fellow　that　attended　about　the　work；　but　after　some

pause　John　Hayward；　recovering　himself；　said；　'Lord；　bless　us！

There's　somebody　in　the　cart　not　quite　dead！'　So　another　called　to　him

and　said；　'Who　are　you？'　The　fellow　answered；　'I　am　the　poor　piper。

Where　am　I？'　'Where　are　you？'　says　Hayward。　　'Why；　you　are　in　the

dead…cart；　and　we　are　going　to　bury　you。'　'But　I　an't　dead　though；　am

I？'　says　the　piper；　which　made　them　laugh　a　little　though；　as　John　said；

they　were　heartily　frighted　at　first；　so　they　helped　the　poor　fellow

down；　and　he　went　about　his　business。



I　know　the　story　goes　he　set　up　his　pipes　in　the　cart　and　frighted　the

bearers　and　others　so　that　they　ran　away；　but　John　Hayward　did　not

tell　the　story　so；　nor　say　anything　of　his　piping　at　all；　but　that　he　was　a

poor　piper；　and　that　he　was　carried　away　as　above　I　am　fully　satisfied

of　the　truth　of。



It　is　to　be　noted　here　that　the　dead…carts　in　the　city　were　not

confined　to　particular　parishes；　but　one　cart　went　through　several

parishes；　according　as　the　number　of　dead　presented；　nor　were　they

tied　to　carry　the　dead　to　their　respective　parishes；　but　many　of　the

dead　taken　up　in　the　city　were　carried　to　the　burying…ground　in　the

out…parts　for　want　of　room。



I　have　already　mentioned　the　surprise　that　this　judgement　was　at

first　among　the　people。　　I　must　be　allowed　to　give　some　of　my

observations　on　the　more　serious　and　religious　part。　　Surely　never　city；

at　least　of　this　bulk　and　magnitude；　was　taken　in　a　condition　so

perfectly　unprepared　for　such　a　dreadful　visitation；　whether　I　am　to

speak　of　the　civil　preparations　or　religious。　　They　were；　indeed；　as　if

they　had　had　no　warning；　no　expectation；　no　apprehensions；　and

consequently　the　least　provision　imaginable　was　made　for　it　in　a

public　way。　　For　example；　the　Lord　Mayor　and　sheriffs　had　made　no

provision　as　magistrates　for　the　regulations　which　were　to　be

observed。　　They　had　gone　into　no　measures　for　relief　of　the　poor。　　The

citizens　had　no　public　magazines　or　storehouses　for　corn　or　meal　for

the　subsistence　of　the　poor；　which　if　they　had　provided　themselves；　as

in　such　cases　is　done　abroad；　many　miserable　families　who　were　now

reduced　to　the　utmost　distress　would　have　been　relieved；　and　that　in　a

better　manner　than　now　could　be　done。



The　stock　of　the　city's　money　I　can　say　but　little　to。　　The　Chamber　of

London　was　said　to　be　exceedingly　rich；　and　it　may　be　concluded　that

they　were　so；　by　the　vast　of　money　issued　from　thence　in　the

rebuilding　the　public　edifices　after　the　fire　of　London；　and　in　building

new　works；　such　as；　for　the　first　part；　the　Guildhall；　Blackwell　Hall；

part　of　Leadenhall；　half　the　Exchange；　the　Session　House；　the

Compter；　the　prisons　of　Ludgate；　Newgate；　&c。；　several　of　the　wharfs

and　stairs　and　landing…places　on　the　river；　all　which　were　either

burned　down　or　damaged　by　the　great　fire　of　London；　the　next　year

after　the　plague；　and　of　the　second　sort；　the　Monument；　Fleet　Ditch

with　its　bridges；　and　the　Hospital　of　Bethlem　or　Bedlam；　&c。　　But

possibly　the　managers　of　the　city's　credit　at　that　time　made　more

conscience　of　breaking　in　upon　the　orphan's　money　to　show　charity　to

the　distressed　citizens　than　the　managers　in　the　following　years　did　to

beautify　the　city　and　re…edify　the　buildings；　though；　in　the　first　case；

the　losers　would　have　thought　their　fortunes　better　bestowed；　and　the

public　faith　of　the　city　have　been　less　subjected　to　scandal　and　reproach。



It　must　be　acknowledged　that　the　absent　citizens；　who；　though　they

were　fled　for　safety　into　the　country；　were　yet　greatly　interested　in　the

welfare　of　those　whom　they　left　behind；　forgot　not　to　contribute

liberally　to　the　relief　of　the　poor；　and　large　sums　were　also　collected

among　trading　towns　in　the　remotest　parts　of　England；　and；　as　I　have

heard　also；　the　nobility　and　the　gentry　in　all　parts　of　England　took　the

deplorable　condition　of　the　city　into　their　consideration；　and　sent　up

large　sums　of　money　in　charity　to　the　Lord　Mayor　and　magistrates　for

the　relief　of　the　poor。　　The　king　also；　as　I　was　told；　ordered　a　thousand

pounds　a　week　to　be　distributed　in　four　parts：　one　quarter　to　the　city

and　liberty　of　Westminster；　one　quarter　or　part　among　the　inhabitants

of　the　Southwark　side　of　the　water；　one　quarter　to　the　liberty　and　parts

within　of　the　city；　exclusive　of　the　city　within　the　walls；　and　one…

fourth　part　to　the　suburbs　in　the　county　of　Middlesex；　and　the　east　and

north　parts　of　the　city。　　But　this　latter　I　only　speak　of　as　a　report。



Certain　it　is；　the　greatest　part　of　the　poor　or　families　who　formerly

lived　by　their　labour；　or　by　retail　trade；　lived　now　on　charity；　and　had

there　not　been　prodigious　sums　of　money　given　by　charitable；　well…

minded　Christians　for　the　support　of　such；　the　city　could　never　have

subsisted。　　There　were；　no　question；　accounts　kept　of　their　charity；　and

of　the　just　distribution　of　it　by　the　magistrates。　　But　as　such　multitudes

of　those　very　officers　died　through　whose　hands　it　was　distributed；

and　also　that；　as　I　have　been　told；　most　of　the　accounts　of　those　things

were　lost　in　the　great　fire　which　happened　in　the　very　next　year；　and

which　burnt　even　the　chamberlain's　office　and　many　of　their　papers；

so　I　could　never　come　at　the　particular　account；　which　I　used　great

endeavours　to　have　seen。



It　may；　however；　be　a　direction　in　case　of　the　approach　of　a　like

visitation；　which　God　keep　the　city　from；　…　I　say；　it　may　be　of　use　to

observe　that　by　the　care　of　the　Lord　Mayor　and　aldermen　at　that　time

in　distributing　weekly　great　sums　of　money　for　relief　of　the　poor；　a

multitude　of　people　who　would　otherwise　have　perished；　were

relieved；　and　their　lives　preserved。　　And　here　let　me　enter　into　a　brief

state　of　the　case　of　the　poor　at　that　time；　and　what　way　apprehended

from　them；　from　whence　may　be　judged　hereafter　what　may　be

expected　if　the　like　distress　should　come　upon　the　city。



At　the　beginning　of　the　plague；　when　there　was　now　no　more　hope

but　that　the　whole　city　would　be　visited；　when；　as　I　have　said；　all　that

had　friends　or　estates　in　the　country　retired　with　their　families；

and　when；　indeed；　one　wo