History of the Plague in England | Page 6

to three hundred.
The last was esteemed a pretty high bill; but after this we found the
bills successively increasing, as follows:--
Buried. Increased. Dec. 20 to Dec. 27 291 0 Dec. 27 to Jan. 3 349 58
Jan. 3 to Jan. 10 394 45 Jan. 10 to Jan. 17 415 21 Jan. 17 to Jan. 24 474
59
This last bill was really frightful, being a higher number than had been
known to have been buried in one week since the preceding visitation
of 1656.
However, all this went off again; and the weather proving cold, and the
frost, which began in December, still continuing very severe, even till

near the end of February, attended with sharp though moderate winds,
the bills decreased again, and the city grew healthy; and everybody
began to look upon the danger as good as over, only that still the
burials in St. Giles's continued high. From the beginning of April,
especially, they stood at twenty-five each week, till the week from the
18th to the 25th, when there was[13] buried in St. Giles's Parish thirty,
whereof two of the plague, and eight of the spotted fever (which was
looked upon as the same thing); likewise the number that died of the
spotted fever in the whole increased, being eight the week before, and
twelve the week above named.
This alarmed us all again; and terrible apprehensions were among the
people, especially the weather being now changed and growing warm,
and the summer being at hand. However, the next week there seemed to
be some hopes again: the bills were low; the number of the dead in all
was but 388; there was none of the plague, and but four of the spotted
fever.
But the following week it returned again, and the distemper was spread
into two or three other parishes, viz., St. Andrew's, Holborn, St.
Clement's-Danes; and, to the great affliction of the city, one died within
the walls, in the parish of St. Mary-Wool-Church, that is to say, in
Bearbinder Lane, near Stocks Market: in all, there were nine of the
plague, and six of the spotted fever. It was, however, upon inquiry,
found that this Frenchman who died in Bearbinder Lane was one who,
having lived in Longacre, near the infected houses, had removed for
fear of the distemper, not knowing that he was already infected.
This was the beginning of May, yet the weather was temperate, variable,
and cool enough, and people had still some hopes. That which
encouraged them was, that the city was healthy. The whole
ninety-seven parishes buried but fifty-four, and we began to hope, that,
as it was chiefly among the people at that end of the town, it might go
no farther; and the rather, because the next week, which was from the
9th of May to the 16th, there died but three, of which not one within the
whole city or liberties;[14] and St. Andrew's buried but fifteen, which
was very low. It is true, St. Giles's buried two and thirty; but still, as

there was but one of the plague, people began to be easy. The whole
bill also was very low: for the week before, the bill was but three
hundred and forty-seven; and the week above mentioned, but three
hundred and forty-three. We continued in these hopes for a few days;
but it was but for a few, for the people were no more to be deceived
thus. They searched the houses, and found that the plague was really
spread every way, and that many died of it every day; so that now all
our extenuations[15] abated, and it was no more to be concealed. Nay,
it quickly appeared that the infection had spread itself beyond all hopes
of abatement; that in the parish of St. Giles's it was gotten into several
streets, and several families lay all sick together; and accordingly, in
the weekly bill for the next week, the thing began to show itself. There
was indeed but fourteen set down of the plague, but this was all
knavery and collusion; for St. Giles's Parish, they buried forty in all,
whereof it was certain most of them died of the plague, though they
were set down of other distempers. And though the number of all the
burials were[16] not increased above thirty-two, and the whole bill
being but three hundred and eighty-five, yet there was[17] fourteen of
the spotted fever, as well as fourteen of the plague; and we took it for
granted, upon the whole, that there were fifty died that week of the
plague.
The next bill was from the 23d of May to the 30th, when the number of
the plague was seventeen; but the burials in St. Giles's were fifty-three,
a frightful number, of whom they