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miraculously　preserved。



As　for　my　little　family；　having　thus；　as　I　have　said；　laid　in　a　store　of

bread；　butter；　cheese；　and　beer；　I　took　my　friend　and　physician's

advice；　and　locked　myself　up；　and　my　family；　and　resolved　to　suffer

the　hardship　of　living　a　few　months　without　flesh…meat；　rather　than　to

purchase　it　at　the　hazard　of　our　lives。



But　though　I　confined　my　family；　I　could　not　prevail　upon　my

unsatisfied　curiosity　to　stay　within　entirely　myself；　and　though　I

generally　came　frighted　and　terrified　home；　vet　I　could　not　restrain；

only　that　indeed　I　did　not　do　it　so　frequently　as　at　first。



I　had　some　little　obligations；　indeed；　upon　me　to　go　to　my　brother's

house；　which　was　in　Coleman　Street　parish　and　which　he　had　left　to

my　care；　and　I　went　at　first　every　day；　but　afterwards　only　once　or

twice　a　week。



In　these　walks　I　had　many　dismal　scenes　before　my　eyes；　as

particularly　of　persons　falling　dead　in　the　streets；　terrible　shrieks　and

screechings　of　women；　who；　in　their　agonies；　would　throw　open　their

chamber　windows　and　cry　out　in　a　dismal；　surprising　manner。　　It　is

impossible　to　describe　the　variety　of　postures　in　which　the　passions　of

the　poor　people　would　express　themselves。



Passing　through　Tokenhouse　Yard；　in　Lothbury；　of　a　sudden　a

casement　violently　opened　just　over　my　head；　and　a　woman　gave　three

frightful　screeches；　and　then　cried；　'Oh！　death；　death；　death！'　in　a

most　inimitable　tone；　and　which　struck　me　with　horror　and　a　chillness

in　my　very　blood。　　There　was　nobody　to　be　seen　in　the　whole　street；

neither　did　any　other　window　open。　for　people　had　no　curiosity　now　in

any　case；　nor　could　anybody　help　one　another；　so　I　went　on　to　pass

into　Bell　Alley。



Just　in　Bell　Alley；　on　the　right　hand　of　the　passage；　there　was　a　more

terrible　cry　than　that；　though　it　was　not　so　directed　out　at　the　window；

but　the　whole　family　was　in　a　terrible　fright；　and　I　could　hear　women

and　children　run　screaming　about　the　rooms　like　distracted；　when　a

garret…window　opened　and　somebody　from　a　window　on　the　other

side　the　alley　called　and　asked；　'What　is　the　matter？'　upon　which；　from

the　first　window；　it　was　answered；　'Oh　Lord；　my　old　master　has

hanged　himself！'　The　other　asked　again；　'Is　he　quite　dead？'　and　the

first　answered；　'Ay；　ay；　quite　dead；　quite　dead　and　cold！'　This　person

was　a　merchant　and　a　deputy　alderman；　and　very　rich。　　I　care　not　to

mention　the　name；　though　I　knew　his　name　too；　but　that　would　be　an

hardship　to　the　family；　which　is　now　flourishing　again。



But　this　is　but　one；　it　is　scarce　credible　what　dreadful　cases

happened　in　particular　families　every　day。　　People　in　the　rage　of　the

distemper；　or　in　the　torment　of　their　swellings；　which　was　indeed

intolerable；　running　out　of　their　own　government；　raving　and

distracted；　and　oftentimes　laying　violent　hands　upon　themselves；

throwing　themselves　out　at　their　windows；　shooting　themselves。；；；

&c。；　mothers　murdering　their　own　children　in　their　lunacy；　some

dying　of　mere　grief　as　a　passion；　some　of　mere　fright　and　surprise

without　any　infection　at　all；　others　frighted　into　idiotism　and　foolish

distractions；　some　into　despair　and　lunacy；　others　into　melancholy　madness。



The　pain　of　the　swelling　was　in　particular　very　violent；　and　to　some

intolerable；　the　physicians　and　surgeons　may　be　said　to　have　tortured

many　poor　creatures　even　to　death。　　The　swellings　in　some　grew　hard；

and　they　applied　violent　drawing…plaisters　or　poultices　to　break　them；

and　if　these　did　not　do　they　cut　and　scarified　them　in　a　terrible

manner。　　In　some　those　swellings　were　made　hard　partly　by　the　force

of　the　distemper　and　partly　by　their　being　too　violently　drawn；　and

were　so　hard　that　no　instrument　could　cut　them；　and　then　they　burnt

them　with　caustics；　so　that　many　died　raving　mad　with　the　torment；

and　some　in　the　very　operation。　　In　these　distresses；　some；　for　want　of

help　to　hold　them　down　in　their　beds；　or　to　look　to　them；　laid　hands

upon　themselves　as　above。　　Some　broke　out　into　the　streets；　perhaps

naked；　and　would　run　directly　down　to　the　river　if　they　were　not

stopped　by　the　watchman　or　other　officers；　and　plunge　themselves

into　the　water　wherever　they　found　it。



It　often　pierced　my　very　soul　to　hear　the　groans　and　cries　of　those

who　were　thus　tormented；　but　of　the　two　this　was　counted　the　most

promising　particular　in　the　whole　infection；　for　if　these　swellings

could　be　brought　to　a　head；　and　to　break　and　run；　or；　as　the　surgeons

call　it；　to　digest；　the　patient　generally　recovered；　whereas　those　who；

like　the　gentlewoman's　daughter；　were　struck　with　death　at　the

beginning；　and　had　the　tokens　come　out　upon　them；　often　went　about

indifferent　easy　till　a　little　before　they　died；　and　some　till　the　moment

they　dropped　down；　as　in　apoplexies　and　epilepsies　is　often　the　case。

Such　would　be　taken　suddenly　very　sick；　and　would　run　to　a　bench　or

bulk；　or　any　convenient　place　that　offered　itself；　or　to　their　own

houses　if　possible；　as　I　mentioned　before；　and　there　sit　down；　grow

faint；　and　die。　　This　kind　of　dying　was　much　the　same　as　it　was　with

those　who　die　of　common　mortifications；　who　die　swooning；　and；　as　it

were；　go　away　in　a　dream。　　Such　as　died　thus　had　very　little　notice　of

their　being　infected　at　all　till　the　gangrene　was　spread　through　their

whole　body；　nor　could　physicians　themselves　know　certainly　how　it

was　with　them　till　they　opened　their　breasts　or　other　parts　of　their

body　and　saw　the　tokens。



We　had　at　this　time　a　great　many　frightful　stories　told　us　of　nurses

and　watchmen　who　looked　after　the　dying　people；　that　is　to　say；　hired

nurses　who　attended　infected　people；　using　them　barbarously；　starving

them；　smothering　them；　or　by　other　wicked　means　hastening　their　end；

that　is　to　say；　murdering　of　them；　and　watchmen；　being　set　to　guard

houses　that　were　shut　up　when　there　has　been　but　one　person　left；　and

perhaps　that　one　lying　sick；　that　they　have　broke　in　and　murdered　that

body；　and　immediately　thrown　them　out　into　the　dead…cart！　And　so

they　have　gone　scarce　cold　to　the　grave。



I　cannot　say　but　that　some　such　murders　were　committed；　and　I

think　two　were　sent　to　prison　for　it；　but　died　before　they　could　be

tried；　and　I　have　heard　that　three　others；　at　several　times；　were

excused　for　murders　of　that　kind；　but　I　must　say　I　believe　nothing　of

its　being　so　common　a　crime　as　some　have　since　been　pleased　to　say；

nor　did　it　seem　to　be　so　rational　where　the　people　were　brought　so　low

as　not　to　be　able　to　help　themselves；　for　such　seldom　recovered；　and

there　was　no　temptation　to　commit　a　murder；　at　least　none　equal　to

the　fact；　where　they　were　sure　persons　would　die　in　so　short　a　time；

and　could　not　live。



That　there　were　a　great　many　robberies　and　wicked　practices

committed　even　in　this　dreadful　time　I　do　not　deny。　　The　power　of

avarice　was　so　strong　in　some　that　they　would　run　any　hazard　to　steal

and　to　plunder；　and　particularly　in　houses　where　all　the　families　or

inhabitants　have　been　dead　and　carried　out；　they　would　break　in　at　all

hazards；　and　without　regard　to　the　danger　of　infection；　take　even　the

clothes　off　the　dead　bodies　and　the　bed…clothes　from　others　where

they　lay　dead。



This；　I　suppose；　must　be　the　case　of　a　family　in　Houndsditch；　where

a　man　and　his　daughter；　the　rest　of　the　family　being；　as　I　suppose；

carried　away　before　by　the　dead…cart；　were　found　stark　naked；　one　in

one　chamber　and　one　in　another；　lying　dead　on　the　floor；　and　the

clothes　of　the　beds；　from　whence　'tis　supposed　they　were　rolled　off　by

thieves；　stolen　and　carried　quite　away。



It　is　indeed　to　be　observed　that　the　women　were　in　all　this　calamity

the　most　rash；　fearless；　and　desperate　creatures；　and　as　there　were　vast

numbers　that　went　about　as　nurses　to　tend　those　that　were　sick；　they

committed　a　great　many　petty　thieveries　in　the　houses　where　they

were　employed；　and　some　of　them　were　publicly　whipped　for　it；　when

perhaps　they　ought　rather　to　have　been　hanged　for　examples；　for

numbers　of　houses　were　robbed　on　these　occasions；　till　at　length　the

parish　officers　were　sent　to　recommend　nurses　to　the　sick；　and　always

took　an　account　whom　it　was　they　sent；　so　as　that　they　might　call　them

to　account　if　the　house　had　been　abused　where　they　were　placed。



But　these　robberies　extended　chiefly　to　wearing…clothes；　linen；　and

what　rings　or　money　they　could　come　at　when　the　person　died　who

was　under　their　care；　but　not　to　a　general　plunder　of　the　houses；　and　I

could　give　you　an　account　of　one　of　these　nurses；　who；　several　years

after；　being　on　her　deathbed；　confessed　with　the　utmost　horror　the

robberies　she　had　committed　at　the　time　of　her　being　a　nurse；　and　by

which　she　had　enriched　herself　to　a　great　degree。　　But　as　for　murders；

I　do　not　find　that　there　was　ever　any　proof　of　the　facts　in　the　manner

as　it　has　been　reported；　except　as　above。



They　did　tell　me；　indeed；　of　a　nurse　in　one　place　that　laid　a　wet　cloth

upon　the　face　of　a　dying　patient　whom　she　tended；　and　so　put　an　end

to　his　life；　who　was　just　expiring　before；　and　another　that　smothered　a

young　woman　she　was　looking　to　when　she　was　in　a　fainting　fit；　and

would　have　come　to　herself；　some　that　killed　them　by　giving　them　one

thing；　some　another；　and　some　starved　them　by　giving　them　nothing　at

all。　　But　these　stories　had　two　marks　of　suspicion　that　always　attended

them；　which　caused　me　always　to　slight　them　and　to　look　on　them　as

mere　stories　that　people　continually　frighted　one　another　with。　　First；

that　wherever　it　was　that　we　heard　it；　they　always　placed　the　scene　at

the　farther　end　of　the　town；　opposite　or　most　remote　from　where　you

were　to　hear　it。　　If　you　heard　it　in　Whitechappel；　it　had　happened　at　St

Giles's；　or　at　Westminster；　or　Holborn；　or　that　end　of　the　town。　　If　you

heard　of　it　at　that　end　of　the　town；　then　it　was　done　in　Whitechappel；　or

the　Minories；　or　about　Cripplegate　parish。　　If　you