part5-第11部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



the　beds　with　their　wives　or　relations　when　they　were　infected。　　And

what　was　the　consequence；　but　the　same　that　is　the　consequence　in

Turkey；　and　in　those　countries　where　they　do　those　things　…　namely；

that　they　were　infected　too；　and　died　by　hundreds　and　thousands？



I　would　be　far　from　lessening　the　awe　of　the　judgements　of　God　and

the　reverence　to　His　providence　which　ought　always　to　be　on　our

minds　on　such　occasions　as　these。　　Doubtless　the　visitation　itself　is　a

stroke　from　Heaven　upon　a　city；　or　country；　or　nation　where　it　falls；　a

messenger　of　His　vengeance；　and　a　loud　call　to　that　nation　or　country

or　city　to　humiliation　and　repentance；　according　to　that　of　the　prophet

Jeremiah　（xviii。　7；　8）：　'At　what　instant　I　shall　speak　concerning　a

nation；　and　concerning　a　kingdom；　to　pluck　up；　and　to　pull　down；　and

to　destroy　it；　if　that　nation　against　whom　I　have　pronounced　turn　from

their　evil；　I　will　repent　of　the　evil　that　I　thought　to　do　unto　them。'　Now

to　prompt　due　impressions　of　the　awe　of　God　on　the　minds　of　men　on

such　occasions；　and　not　to　lessen　them；　it　is　that　I　have　left　those

minutes　upon　record。



I　say；　therefore；　I　reflect　upon　no　man　for　putting　the　reason　of　those

things　upon　the　immediate　hand　of　God；　and　the　appointment　and

direction　of　His　providence；　nay；　on　the　contrary；　there　were　many

wonderful　deliverances　of　persons　from　infection；　and　deliverances　of

persons　when　infected；　which　intimate　singular　and　remarkable

providence　in　the　particular　instances　to　which　they　refer；　and　I

esteem　my　own　deliverance　to　be　one　next　to　miraculous；　and　do

record　it　with　thankfulness。



But　when　I　am　speaking　of　the　plague　as　a　distemper　arising　from

natural　causes；　we　must　consider　it　as　it　was　really　propagated　by

natural　means；　nor　is　it　at　all　the　less　a　judgement　for　its　being　under

the　conduct　of　human　causes　and　effects；　for；　as　the　Divine　Power　has

formed　the　whole　scheme　of　nature　and　maintains　nature　in　its　course；

so　the　same　Power　thinks　fit　to　let　His　own　actings　with　men；　whether

of　mercy　or　judgement；　to　go　on　in　the　ordinary　course　of　natural

causes；　and　He　is　pleased　to　act　by　those　natural　causes　as　the

ordinary　means；　excepting　and　reserving　to　Himself　nevertheless　a

power　to　act　in　a　supernatural　way　when　He　sees　occasion。　　Now　'tis

evident　that　in　the　case　of　an　infection　there　is　no　apparent

extraordinary　occasion　for　supernatural　operation；　but　the　ordinary

course　of　things　appears　sufficiently　armed；　and　made　capable　of　all

the　effects　that　Heaven　usually　directs　by　a　contagion。　　Among　these

causes　and　effects；　this　of　the　secret　conveyance　of　infection；

imperceptible　and　unavoidable；　is　more　than　sufficient　to　execute　the

fierceness　of　Divine　vengeance；　without　putting　it　upon　supernaturals

and　miracle。



The　acute　penetrating　nature　of　the　disease　itself　was　such；　and　the

infection　was　received　so　imperceptibly；　that　the　most　exact　caution

could　not　secure　us　while　in　the　place。　　But　I　must　be　allowed　to

believe　…　and　I　have　so　many　examples　fresh　in　my　memory　to

convince　me　of　it；　that　I　think　none　can　resist　their　evidence　…　I　say；　I

must　be　allowed　to　believe　that　no　one　in　this　whole　nation　ever

received　the　sickness　or　infection　but　who　received　it　in　the　ordinary

way　of　infection　from　somebody；　or　the　clothes　or　touch　or　stench　of

somebody　that　was　infected　before。



The　manner　of　its　coming　first　to　London　proves　this　also；　viz。；　by

goods　brought　over　from　Holland；　and　brought　thither　from　the

Levant；　the　first　breaking　of　it　out　in　a　house　in　Long　Acre　where

those　goods　were　carried　and　first　opened；　its　spreading　from　that

house　to　other　houses　by　the　visible　unwary　conversing　with　those

who　were　sick；　and　the　infecting　the　parish　officers　who　were

employed　about　the　persons　dead；　and　the　like。　　These　are　known

authorities　for　this　great　foundation　point　…　that　it　went　on　and

proceeded　from　person　to　person　and　from　house　to　house；　and　no

otherwise。　　In　the　first　house　that　was　infected　there　died　four　persons。

A　neighbour；　hearing　the　mistress　of　the　first　house　was　sick；　went　to

visit　her；　and　went　home　and　gave　the　distemper　to　her　family；　and

died；　and　all　her　household。　　A　minister；　called　to　pray　with　the　first

sick　person　in　the　second　house；　was　said　to　sicken　immediately　and

die　with　several　more　in　his　house。　　Then　the　physicians　began　to

consider；　for　they　did　not　at　first　dream　of　a　general　contagion。　　But

the　physicians　being　sent　to　inspect　the　bodies；　they　assured　the

people　that　it　was　neither　more　or　less　than　the　plague；　with　all　its

terrifying　particulars；　and　that　it　threatened　an　universal　infection；　so

many　people　having　already　conversed　with　the　sick　or　distempered；

and　having；　as　might　be　supposed；　received　infection　from　them；　that

it　would　be　impossible　to　put　a　stop　to　it。



Here　the　opinion　of　the　physicians　agreed　with　my　observation

afterwards；　namely；　that　the　danger　was　spreading　insensibly；　for　the

sick　could　infect　none　but　those　that　came　within　reach　of　the　sick

person；　but　that　one　man　who　may　have　really　received　the　infection

and　knows　it　not；　but　goes　abroad　and　about　as　a　sound　person；　may

give　the　plague　to　a　thousand　people；　and　they　to　greater　numbers　in

proportion；　and　neither　the　person　giving　the　infection　or　the　persons

receiving　it　know　anything　of　it；　and　perhaps　not　feel　the　effects　of　it

for　several　days　after。



For　example；　many　persons　in　the　time　of　this　visitation　never

perceived　that　they　were　infected　till　they　found　to　their　unspeakable

surprise；　the　tokens　come　out　upon　them；　after　which　they　seldom

lived　six　hours；　for　those　spots　they　called　the　tokens　were　really

gangrene　spots；　or　mortified　flesh　in　small　knobs　as　broad　as　a　little

silver　penny；　and　hard　as　a　piece　of　callus　or　horn；　so　that；　when　the

disease　was　come　up　to　that　length；　there　was　nothing　could　follow

but　certain　death；　and　yet；　as　I　said；　they　knew　nothing　of　their　being

infected；　nor　found　themselves　so　much　as　out　of　order；　till　those

mortal　marks　were　upon　them。　　But　everybody　must　allow　that　they

were　infected　in　a　high　degree　before；　And　must　have　been　so　some

time；　and　consequently　their　breath；　their　sweat；　their　very　clothes；

were　contagious　for　many　days　before。

This　occasioned　a　vast　variety　of　cases　which　physicians　would　have

much　more　opportunity　to　remember　than　I；　but　some　came　within

the　compass　of　my　observation　or　hearing；　of　which　I　shall　name　a　few。



A　certain　citizen　who　had　lived　safe　and　untouched　till　the　month　of

September；　when　the　weight　of　the　distemper　lay　more　in　the　city　than

it　had　done　before；　was　mighty　cheerful；　and　something　too　bold　（as　I

think　it　was）　in　his　talk　of　how　secure　he　was；　how　cautious　he　had

been；　and　how　he　had　never　come　near　any　sick　body。　　Says　another

citizen；　a　neighbour　of　his；　to　him　one　day；　'Do　not　be　too　confident；

Mr　…；　it　is　hard　to　say　who　is　sick　and　who　is　well；　for　we　see　men

alive　and　well　to　outward　appearance　one　hour；　and　dead　the　next。'

'That　is　true'；　says　the　first　man；　for　he　was　not　a　man　presumptuously

secure；　but　had　escaped　a　long　while　…　and　men；　as　I　said　above；

especially　in　the　city　began　to　be　over…easy　upon　that　score。　　'That　is

true；'　says　he；　'I　do　not　think　myself　secure；　but　I　hope　I　have　not　been

in　company　with　any　person　that　there　has　been　any　danger　in。'　'No？'

says　his　neighbour。　　'Was　not　you　at　the　Bull　Head　Tavern　in

Gracechurch　Street　with　Mr　…　the　night　before　last？'　'Yes；'　says　the

first；　'I　was；　but　there　was　nobody　there　that　we　had　any　reason　to

think　dangerous。'　Upon　which　his　neighbour　said　no　more；　being

unwilling　to　surprise　him；　but　this　made　him　more　inquisitive；　and　as

his　neighbour　appeared　backward；　he　was　the　more　impatient；　and　in　a

kind　of　warmth　says　he　aloud；　'Why；　he　is　not　dead；　is　he？'　Upon

which　his　neighbour　still　was　silent；　but　cast　up　his　eyes　and　said

something　to　himself；　at　which　the　first　citizen　turned　pale；　and　said

no　more　but　this；　'Then　I　am　a　dead　man　too'；　and　went　home

immediately　and　sent　for　a　neighbouring　apothecary　to　give　him

something　preventive；　for　he　had　not　yet　found　himself　ill；　but　the

apothecary；　opening　his　breast；　fetched　a　sigh；　and　said　no　more　but

this；　'Look　up　to　God'；　and　the　man　died　in　a　few　hours。



Now　let　any　man　judge　from　a　case　like　this　if　it　is　possible　for　the

regulations　of　magistrates；　either　by　shutting　up　the　sick　or　removing

them；　to　stop　an　infection　which　spreads　itself　from　man　to　man　even

while　they　are　perfectly　well　and　insensible　of　its　approach；　and　may

be　so　for　many　days。





End　of　Part　5