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with　an　uncommon　prejudice　had　broken　off　from　the　communion　of

the　Church　of　England；　were　now　content　to　come　to　their　parish

churches　and　to　conform　to　the　worship　which　they　did　not　approve　of

before；　but　as　the　terror　of　the　infection　abated；　those　things　all

returned　again　to　their　less　desirable　channel　and　to　the　course　they

were　in　before。



I　mention　this　but　historically。　　I　have　no　mind　to　enter　into

arguments　to　move　either　or　both　sides　to　a　more　charitable

compliance　one　with　another。　　I　do　not　see　that　it　is　probable　such　a

discourse　would　be　either　suitable　or　successful；　the　breaches　seem

rather　to　widen；　and　tend　to　a　widening　further；　than　to　closing；　and

who　am　I　that　I　should　think　myself　able　to　influence　either　one　side

or　other？　　But　this　I　may　repeat　again；　that　'tis　evident　death　will

reconcile　us　all；　on　the　other　side　the　grave　we　shall　be　all　brethren

again。　　In　heaven；　whither　I　hope　we　may　come　from　all　parties　and

persuasions；　we　shall　find　neither　prejudice　or　scruple；　there　we　shall

be　of　one　principle　and　of　one　opinion。　　Why　we　cannot　be　content　to

go　hand　in　hand　to　the　Place　where　we　shall　join　heart　and　hand

without　the　least　hesitation；　and　with　the　most　complete　harmony　and

affection　…　I　say；　why　we　cannot　do　so　here　I　can　say　nothing　to；

neither　shall　I　say　anything　more　of　it　but　that　it　remains　to　be　lamented。



I　could　dwell　a　great　while　upon　the　calamities　of　this　dreadful　time；

and　go　on　to　describe　the　objects　that　appeared　among　us　every　day；

the　dreadful　extravagancies　which　the　distraction　of　sick　people　drove

them　into；　how　the　streets　began　now　to　be　fuller　of　frightful　objects；

and　families　to　be　made　even　a　terror　to　themselves。　　But　after　I　have

told　you；　as　I　have　above；　that　one　man；　being　tied　in　his　bed；　and

finding　no　other　way　to　deliver　himself；　set　the　bed　on　fire　with　his

candle；　which　unhappily　stood　within　his　reach；　and　burnt　himself　in

his　bed；　and　how　another；　by　the　insufferable　torment　he　bore；　danced

and　sung　naked　in　the　streets；　not　knowing　one　ecstasy　from　another；　I

say；　after　I　have　mentioned　these　things；　what　can　be　added　more？

What　can　be　said　to　represent　the　misery　of　these　times　more　lively　to

the　reader；　or　to　give　him　a　more　perfect　idea　of　a　complicated　distress？



I　must　acknowledge　that　this　time　was　terrible；　that　I　was　sometimes

at　the　end　of　all　my　resolutions；　and　that　I　had　not　the　courage　that　I

had　at　the　beginning。　　As　the　extremity　brought　other　people　abroad；　it

drove　me　home；　and　except　having　made　my　voyage　down　to

Blackwall　and　Greenwich；　as　I　have　related；　which　was　an　excursion；

I　kept　afterwards　very　much　within　doors；　as　I　had　for　about　a

fortnight　before。　　I　have　said　already　that　I　repented　several　times　that

I　had　ventured　to　stay　in　town；　and　had　not　gone　away　with　my　brother

and　his　family；　but　it　was　too　late　for　that　now；　and　after　I　had

retreated　and　stayed　within　doors　a　good　while　before　my　impatience

led　me　abroad；　then　they　called　me；　as　I　have　said；　to　an　ugly　and

dangerous　office　which　brought　me　out　again；　but　as　that　was　expired

while　the　height　of　the　distemper　lasted；　I　retired　again；　and　continued

dose　ten　or　twelve　days　more；　during　which　many　dismal　spectacles

represented　themselves　in　my　view　out　of　my　own　windows　and　in　our

own　street　…　as　that　particularly　from　Harrow　Alley；　of　the　poor

outrageous　creature　which　danced　and　sung　in　his　agony；　and　many

others　there　were。　　Scarce　a　day　or　night　passed　over　but　some　dismal

thing　or　other　happened　at　the　end　of　that　Harrow　Alley；　which　was　a

place　full　of　poor　people；　most　of　them　belonging　to　the　butchers　or　to

employments　depending　upon　the　butchery。



Sometimes　heaps　and　throngs　of　people　would　burst　out　of　the　alley；

most　of　them　women；　making　a　dreadful　clamour；　mixed　or

compounded　of　screeches；　cryings；　and　calling　one　another；　that　we

could　not　conceive　what　to　make　of　it。　　Almost　all　the　dead　part　of　the

night　the　dead…cart　stood　at　the　end　of　that　alley；　for　if　it　went　in　it

could　not　well　turn　again；　and　could　go　in　but　a　little　way。　　There；　I

say；　it　stood　to　receive　dead　bodies；　and　as　the　churchyard　was　but　a

little　way　off；　if　it　went　away　full　it　would　soon　be　back　again。　　It　is

impossible　to　describe　the　most　horrible　cries　and　noise　the　poor

people　would　make　at　their　bringing　the　dead　bodies　of　their　children

and　friends　out　of　the　cart；　and　by　the　number　one　would　have　thought

there　had　been　none　left　behind；　or　that　there　were　people　enough　for

a　small　city　living　in　those　places。　　Several　times　they　cried　'Murder'；

sometimes　'Fire'；　but　it　was　easy　to　perceive　it　was　all　distraction；　and

the　complaints　of　distressed　and　distempered　people。



I　believe　it　was　everywhere　thus　as　that　time；　for　the　plague　raged

for　six　or　seven　weeks　beyond　all　that　I　have　expressed；　and　came

even　to　such　a　height　that；　in　the　extremity；　they　began　to　break　into

that　excellent　order　of　which　I　have　spoken　so　much　in　behalf　of　the

magistrates；　namely；　that　no　dead　bodies　were　seen　in　the　street　or

burials　in　the　daytime：　for　there　was　a　necessity　in　this　extremity　to

bear　with　its　being　otherwise　for　a　little　while。



One　thing　I　cannot　omit　here；　and　indeed　I　thought　it　was　extraordinary；

at　least　it　seemed　a　remarkable　hand　of　Divine　justice：　　viz。；　that　all

the　predictors；　astrologers；　fortune…tellers；　and　what　they　called

cunning…men；　conjurers；　and　the　like：　calculators　of　nativities

and　dreamers　of　dream；　and　such　people；　were　gone　and　vanished；

not　one　of　them　was　to　be　found。　　I　am　verily　persuaded　that

a　great　number　of　them　fell　in　the　heat　of　the　calamity；

having　ventured　to　stay　upon　the　prospect　of　getting　great　estates；

and　indeed　their　gain　was　but　too　great　for　a　time；　through　the　madness

and　folly　of　the　people。　　But　now　they　were　silent；　many　of　them　went

to　their　long　home；　not　able　to　foretell　their　own　fate　or　to　calculate

their　own　nativities。　　Some　have　been　critical　enough　to　say　that

every　one　of　them　died。　　I　dare　not　affirm　that；　but　this　I　must　own；

that　I　never　heard　of　one　of　them　that　ever　appeared　after　the

calamity　was　over。



But　to　return　to　my　particular　observations　during　this　dreadful　part

of　the　visitation。　　I　am　now　come；　as　I　have　said；　to　the　month　of

September；　which　was　the　most　dreadful　of　its　kind；　I　believe；　that

ever　London　saw；　for；　by　all　the　accounts　which　I　have　seen　of　the

preceding　visitations　which　have　been　in　London；　nothing　has　been

like　it；　the　number　in　the　weekly　bill　amounting　to　almost　40；000　from

the　22nd　of　August　to　the　26th　of　September；　being　but　five　weeks。

The　particulars　of　the　bills　are　as　follows；　viz。　：　…



From　August　the　　　22nd　to　the　29th　　　　　　　　　　　　　7496

〃　　　　　〃　　　　　　　　　　　29th　　　　　〃　　　　5th　September　　8252

〃　　　　September　the　5th　　　　　〃　　　12th　　　　　　　　　　　　7690

〃　　　　　〃　　　　　　　　　　　12th　　　　　〃　　　19th　　　　　　　　　　　　8297

〃　　　　　〃　　　　　　　　　　　19th　　　　　〃　　　26th　　　　　　　　　　　　6460

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　…　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　38；195





This　was　a　prodigious　number　of　itself；　but　if　I　should　add　the

reasons　which　I　have　to　believe　that　this　account　was　deficient；　and

how　deficient　it　was；　you　would；　with　me；　make　no　scruple　to　believe

that　there　died　above　ten　thousand　a　week　for　all　those　weeks；　one

week　with　another；　and　a　proportion　for　several　weeks　both　before

and　after。　　The　confusion　among　the　people；　especially　within　the　city；

at　that　time；　was　inexpressible。　　The　terror　was　so　great　at　last　that　the

courage　of　the　people　appointed　to　carry　away　the　dead　began　to　fail

them；　nay；　several　of　them　died；　although　they　had　the　distemper

before　and　were　recovered；　and　some　of　them　dropped　down　when

they　have　been　carrying　the　bodies　even　at　the　pit　side；　and　just　ready

to　throw　them　in；　and　this　confusion　was　greater　in　the　city　because

they　had　flattered　themselves　with　hopes　of　escaping；　and　thought　the

bitterness　of　death　was　past。　　One　cart；　they　told　us；　going　up

Shoreditch　was　forsaken　of　the　drivers；　or　being　left　to　one　man　to

drive；　he　died　in　the　street；　and　the　horses　going　on　overthrew　the　cart；

and　left　the　bodies；　some　thrown　out　here；　some　there；　in　a　dismal

manner。　　Another　cart　was；　it　seems；　found　in　the　great　pit　in　Finsbury

Fields；　the　driver　being　dead；　or　having　been　gone　and　abandoned　it；

and　the　horses　running　too　near　it；　the　cart　fell　in　and　drew　the　horses

in　also。　　It　was　suggested　that　the　driver　was　thrown　in　with　it　and　that

the　cart　fell　upon　him；　by　reason　his　whip　was　seen　to　be　in　the　pit

among　the　bodies；　but　that；　I　suppose；　could　not　be　certain。



In　our　parish　of　Aldgate　the　dead…carts　were　several　times；　as　I　have

heard；　found　standing　at　the　churchyard　gate　full　of　dead　bodies；　but

neither　bellman　or　driver　or　any　one　else　with　it；　neither　in　these　or

many　other　cases　did　they　know　what　bodies　they　had