History of the Plague in England | Page 7

set down but nine of the plague. But
on an examination more strictly by the justices of the peace, and at the
lord mayor's[18] request, it was found there were twenty more who
were really dead of the plague in that parish, but had been set down of
the spotted fever, or other distempers, besides others concealed.
But those were trifling things to what followed immediately after. For
now the weather set in hot; and from the first week in June, the
infection spread in a dreadful manner, and the bills rise[19] high; the
articles of the fever, spotted fever, and teeth, began to swell: for all that
could conceal their distempers did it to prevent their neighbors
shunning and refusing to converse with them, and also to prevent
authority shutting up their houses, which, though it was not yet

practiced, yet was threatened; and people were extremely terrified at
the thoughts of it.
The second week in June, the parish of St. Giles's, where still the
weight of the infection lay, buried one hundred and twenty, whereof,
though the bills said but sixty-eight of the plague, everybody said there
had been a hundred at least, calculating it from the usual number of
funerals in that parish as above.
Till this week the city continued free, there having never any died
except that one Frenchman, who[20] I mentioned before, within the
whole ninety-seven parishes. Now, there died four within the city,--one
in Wood Street, one in Fenchurch Street, and two in Crooked Lane.
Southwark was entirely free, having not one yet died on that side of the
water.
I lived without Aldgate, about midway between Aldgate Church and
Whitechapel Bars, on the left hand, or north side, of the street; and as
the distemper had not reached to that side of the city, our neighborhood
continued very easy. But at the other end of the town their
consternation was very great; and the richer sort of people, especially
the nobility and gentry from the west part of the city, thronged out of
town, with their families and servants, in an unusual manner. And this
was more particularly seen in Whitechapel; that is to say, the Broad
Street where I lived. Indeed, nothing was to be seen but wagons and
carts, with goods, women, servants, children, etc.; coaches filled with
people of the better sort, and horsemen attending them, and all hurrying
away; then empty wagons and carts appeared, and spare horses with
servants, who it was apparent were returning, or sent from the country
to fetch more people; besides innumerable numbers of men on
horseback, some alone, others with servants, and, generally speaking,
all loaded with baggage, and fitted out for traveling, as any one might
perceive by their appearance.
This was a very terrible and melancholy thing to see, and as it was a
sight which I could not but look on from morning to night (for indeed
there was nothing else of moment to be seen), it filled me with very
serious thoughts of the misery that was coming upon the city, and the

unhappy condition of those that would be left in it.
This hurry of the people was such for some weeks, that there was no
getting at the lord mayor's door without exceeding difficulty; there was
such pressing and crowding there to get passes and certificates of health
for such as traveled abroad; for, without these, there was no being
admitted to pass through the towns upon the road, or to lodge in any
inn. Now, as there had none died in the city for all this time, my lord
mayor gave certificates of health without any difficulty to all those who
lived in the ninety-seven parishes, and to those within the liberties too,
for a while.
This hurry, I say, continued some weeks, that is to say, all the months
of May and June; and the more because it was rumored that an order of
the government was to be issued out, to place turnpikes[21] and
barriers on the road to prevent people's traveling; and that the towns on
the road would not suffer people from London to pass, for fear of
bringing the infection along with them, though neither of these rumors
had any foundation but in the imagination, especially at first.
I now began to consider seriously with myself concerning my own case,
and how I should dispose of myself; that is to say, whether I should
resolve to stay in London, or shut up my house and flee, as many of my
neighbors did. I have set this particular down so fully, because I know
not but it may be of moment to those who come after me, if they come
to be brought to the same distress and to the same manner