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and　declare　themselves　content　to　be　shut　up　with　them



Our　scheme　for　removing　those　that　were　sound　from　those　that

were　sick　was　only　in　such　houses　as　were　infected；　and　confining　the

sick　was　no　confinement；　those　that　could　not　stir　would　not　complain

while　they　were　in　their　senses　and　while　they　had　the　power　of

judging。　　Indeed；　when　they　came　to　be　delirious　and　light…headed；

then　they　would　cry　out　of　the　cruelty　of　being　confined；　but　for　the

removal　of　those　that　were　well；　we　thought　it　highly　reasonable　and

just；　for　their　own　sakes；　they　should　be　removed　from　the　sick；　and

that　for　other　people's　safety　they　should　keep　retired　for　a　while；　to

see　that　they　were　sound；　and　might　not　infect　others；　and　we　thought

twenty　or　thirty　days　enough　for　this。



Now；　certainly；　if　houses　had　been　provided　on　purpose　for　those

that　were　sound　to　perform　this　demi…quarantine　in；　they　would　have

much　less　reason　to　think　themselves　injured　in　such　a　restraint　than

in　being　confined　with　infected　people　in　the　houses　where　they　lived。



It　is　here；　however；　to　be　observed　that　after　the　funerals　became　so

many　that　people　could　not　toll　the　bell；　mourn　or　weep；　or　wear　black

for　one　another；　as　they　did　before；　no；　nor　so　much　as　make　coffins

for　those　that　died；　so　after　a　while　the　fury　of　the　infection　appeared

to　be　so　increased　that；　in　short；　they　shut　up　no　houses　at　all。　　It

seemed　enough　that　all　the　remedies　of　that　kind　had　been　used　till

they　were　found　fruitless；　and　that　the　plague　spread　itself　with　an

irresistible　fury；　so　that　as　the　fire　the　succeeding　year　spread　itself；

and　burned　with　such　violence　that　the　citizens；　in　despair；　gave　over

their　endeavours　to　extinguish　it；　so　in　the　plague　it　came　at　last　to

such　violence　that　the　people　sat　still　looking　at　one　another；　and

seemed　quite　abandoned　to　despair；　whole　streets　seemed　to　be

desolated；　and　not　to　be　shut　up　only；　but　to　be　emptied　of　their

inhabitants；　doors　were　left　open；　windows　stood　shattering　with　the

wind　in　empty　houses　for　want　of　people　to　shut　them。　　In　a　word；

people　began　to　give　up　themselves　to　their　fears　and　to　think　that　all

regulations　and　methods　were　in　vain；　and　that　there　was　nothing　to　be

hoped　for　but　an　universal　desolation；　and　it　was　even　in　the　height　of

this　general　despair　that　it　Pleased　God　to　stay　His　hand；　and　to

slacken　the　fury　of　the　contagion　in　such　a　manner　as　was　even

surprising；　like　its　beginning；　and　demonstrated　it　to　be　His　own

particular　hand；　and　that　above；　if　not　without　the　agency　of　means；　as

I　shall　take　notice　of　in　its　proper　place。



But　I　must　still　speak　of　the　plague　as　in　its　height；　raging　even　to

desolation；　and　the　people　under　the　most　dreadful　consternation；

even；　as　I　have　said；　to　despair。　　It　is　hardly　credible　to　what　excess

the　passions　of　men　carried　them　in　this　extremity　of　the　distemper；

and　this　part；　I　think；　was　as　moving　as　the　rest。　　What　could　affect　a

man　in　his　full　power　of　reflection；　and　what　could　make　deeper

impressions　on　the　soul；　than　to　see　a　man　almost　naked；　and　got　out

of　his　house；　or　perhaps　out　of　his　bed；　into　the　street；　come　out　of

Harrow　Alley；　a　populous　conjunction　or　collection　of　alleys；　courts；

and　passages　in　the　Butcher　Row　in　Whitechappel；　…　I　say；　what　could

be　more　affecting　than　to　see　this　poor　man　come　out　into　the　open

street；　run　dancing　and　singing　and　making　a　thousand　antic　gestures；

with　five　or　six　women　and　children　running　after　him；　crying　and

calling　upon　him　for　the　Lord's　sake　to　come　back；　and　entreating　the

help　of　others　to　bring　him　back；　but　all　in　vain；　nobody　daring　to　lay

a　hand　upon　him　or　to　come　near　him？



This　was　a　most　grievous　and　afflicting　thing　to　me；　who　saw　it　all

from　my　own　windows；　for　all　this　while　the　poor　afflicted　man　was；

as　I　observed　it；　even　then　in　the　utmost　agony　of　pain；　having　（as　they

said）　two　swellings　upon　him　which　could　not　be　brought　to　break　or

to　suppurate；　but；　by　laying　strong　caustics　on　them；　the　surgeons　had；

it　seems；　hopes　to　break　them　…　which　caustics　were　then　upon　him；

burning　his　flesh　as　with　a　hot　iron。　　I　cannot　say　what　became　of　this

poor　man；　but　I　think　he　continued　roving　about　in　that　manner　till　he

fell　down　and　died。



No　wonder　the　aspect　of　the　city　itself　was　frightful。　　The　usual

concourse　of　people　in　the　streets；　and　which　used　to　be　supplied　from

our　end　of　the　town；　was　abated。　　The　Exchange　was　not　kept　shut；

indeed；　but　it　was　no　more　frequented。　　The　fires　were　lost；　they　had

been　almost　extinguished　for　some　days　by　a　very　smart　and　hasty

rain。　　But　that　was　not　all；　some　of　the　physicians　insisted　that　they

were　not　only　no　benefit；　but　injurious　to　the　health　of　people。　　This

they　made　a　loud　clamour　about；　and　complained　to　the　Lord　Mayor

about　it。　　On　the　other　hand；　others　of　the　same　faculty；　and　eminent

too；　opposed　them；　and　gave　their　reasons　why　the　fires　were；　and

must　be；　useful　to　assuage　the　violence　of　the　distemper。　　I　cannot

give　a　full　account　of　their　arguments　on　both　sides；　only　this　I

remember；　that　they　cavilled　very　much　with　one　another。　　Some　were

for　fires；　but　that　they　must　be　made　of　wood　and　not　coal；　and　of

particular　sorts　of　wood　too；　such　as　fir　in　particular；　or　cedar；　because

of　the　strong　effluvia　of　turpentine；　others　were　for　coal　and　not　wood；

because　of　the　sulphur　and　bitumen；　and　others　were　for　neither　one

or　other。　　Upon　the　whole；　the　Lord　Mayor　ordered　no　more　fires；　and

especially　on　this　account；　namely；　that　the　plague　was　so　fierce　that

they　saw　evidently　it　defied　all　means；　and　rather　seemed　to　increase

than　decrease　upon　any　application　to　check　and　abate　it；　and　yet　this

amazement　of　the　magistrates　proceeded　rather　from　want　of　being

able　to　apply　any　means　successfully　than　from　any　unwillingness

either　to　expose　themselves　or　undertake　the　care　and　weight　of

business；　for；　to　do　them　justice；　they　neither　spared　their　pains　nor

their　persons。　　But　nothing　answered；　the　infection　raged；　and　the

people　were　now　frighted　and　terrified　to　the　last　degree：　so　that；　as　I

may　say；　they　gave　themselves　up；　and；　as　I　mentioned　above；

abandoned　themselves　to　their　despair。



But　let　me　observe　here　that；　when　I　say　the　people　abandoned

themselves　to　despair；　I　do　not　mean　to　what　men　call　a　religious

despair；　or　a　despair　of　their　eternal　state；　but　I　mean　a　despair　of　their

being　able　to　escape　the　infection　or　to　outlive　the　plague。　which　they

saw　was　so　raging　and　so　irresistible　in　its　force　that　indeed　few

people　that　were　touched　with　it　in　its　height；　about　August　and

September；　escaped；　and；　which　is　very　particular；　contrary　to　its

ordinary　operation　in　June　and　July；　and　the　beginning　of　August；

when；　as　I　have　observed；　many　were　infected；　and　continued　so　many

days；　and　then　went　off　after　having　had　the　poison　in　their　blood　a

long　time；　but　now；　on　the　contrary；　most　of　the　people　who　were

taken　during　the　two　last　weeks　in　August　and　in　the　three　first　weeks

in　September；　generally　died　in　two　or　three　days　at　furthest；　and

many　the　very　same　day　they　were　taken；　whether　the　dog…days；　or；　as

our　astrologers　pretended　to　express　themselves；　the　influence　of　the

dog…star；　had　that　malignant　effect；　or　all　those　who　had　the　seeds　of

infection　before　in　them　brought　it　up　to　a　maturity　at　that　time

altogether；　I　know　not；　but　this　was　the　time　when　it　was　reported　that

above　3000　people　died　in　one　night；　and　they　that　would　have　us

believe　they　more　critically　observed　it　pretend　to　say　that　they　all

died　within　the　space　of　two　hours；　viz。；　between　the　hours　of　one　and

three　in　the　morning。



As　to　the　suddenness　of　people's　dying　at　this　time；　more　than

before；　there　were　innumerable　instances　of　it；　and　I　could　name

several　in　my　neighbourhood。　　One　family　without　the　Bars；　and　not

far　from　me；　were　all　seemingly　well　on　the　Monday；　being　ten　in

family。　　That　evening　one　maid　and　one　apprentice　were　taken　ill　and

died　the　next　morning　…　when　the　other　apprentice　and　two　children

were　touched；　whereof　one　died　the　same　evening；　and　the　other　two

on　Wednesday。　　In　a　word；　by　Saturday　at　noon　the　master；　mistress；

four　children；　and　four　servants　were　all　gone；　and　the　house　left

entirely　empty；　except　an　ancient　woman　who　came　in　to　take　charge

of　the　goods　for　the　master　of　the　family's　brother；　who　lived　not　far

off；　and　who　had　not　been　sick。



Many　houses　were　then　left　desolate；　all　the　people　being　carried

away　dead；　and　especially　in　an　alley　farther　on　the　same　side　beyond

the　Bars；　going　in　at　the　sign　of　Moses　and　Aaron；　there　were　several

houses　together　which；　they　said；　had　not　one　person　left　alive　in

them；　and　some　that　died　last　in　several　of　those　houses　were　left　a

little　too　long　before　they　were　fetched　out　to　be　buried；　the　reason　of

which　was　not；　as　some　have　written　very　untruly；　that　the　living　were

not　sufficient　to　bury　the　dead；　but　that　the　mortality　was　so　great　in

the　yard　or　alley　that　there　was　nobody　left　to　give　notice　to　the

buriers　or　sextons　that　there　were　any　dead　bodies　there　to　be　buried。

It　was　said；　how　true　I　know　not；　that　some　of　those　bodies　were　so

much　corrupted　and　so　rotten　that　it　was　with　difficulty　they　were

carried；　and　as　the　carts　could　not　come　any　nearer　than　to　the　Alley

Gate　in　the　High　Street；　it　was　so　much　the　more　difficult　to　bring

them　along；　but　I　am　not　certain　how　many　bodies　were　then　left。　　I

am　sure　that　ordinarily　it　was　not　so。



As　I　have　mentioned　how　the　people　were　brought　into　a　condition

to　despair　of　life　and　abandon　themselves；　so　this　very　thing　had　a

strange　effect　among　us　for　three　or　four　weeks；　that　is；　it　made　them

bold　and　venturous：　they　were　no　more　shy　of　one　another；　or

restrained　within　doors；　but　went　anywhere　and　everywhere；　and

began　t