part3-第7章

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in　such　cases　is　done　abroad；　many　miserable　families　who　were　now

reduced　to　the　utmost　distress　would　have　been　relieved；　and　that　in　a

better　manner　than　now　could　be　done。



The　stock　of　the　city's　money　I　can　say　but　little　to。　　The　Chamber　of

London　was　said　to　be　exceedingly　rich；　and　it　may　be　concluded　that

they　were　so；　by　the　vast　of　money　issued　from　thence　in　the

rebuilding　the　public　edifices　after　the　fire　of　London；　and　in　building

new　works；　such　as；　for　the　first　part；　the　Guildhall；　Blackwell　Hall；

part　of　Leadenhall；　half　the　Exchange；　the　Session　House；　the

Compter；　the　prisons　of　Ludgate；　Newgate；　&c。；　several　of　the　wharfs

and　stairs　and　landing…places　on　the　river；　all　which　were　either

burned　down　or　damaged　by　the　great　fire　of　London；　the　next　year

after　the　plague；　and　of　the　second　sort；　the　Monument；　Fleet　Ditch

with　its　bridges；　and　the　Hospital　of　Bethlem　or　Bedlam；　&c。　　But

possibly　the　managers　of　the　city's　credit　at　that　time　made　more

conscience　of　breaking　in　upon　the　orphan's　money　to　show　charity　to

the　distressed　citizens　than　the　managers　in　the　following　years　did　to

beautify　the　city　and　re…edify　the　buildings；　though；　in　the　first　case；

the　losers　would　have　thought　their　fortunes　better　bestowed；　and　the

public　faith　of　the　city　have　been　less　subjected　to　scandal　and　reproach。



It　must　be　acknowledged　that　the　absent　citizens；　who；　though　they

were　fled　for　safety　into　the　country；　were　yet　greatly　interested　in　the

welfare　of　those　whom　they　left　behind；　forgot　not　to　contribute

liberally　to　the　relief　of　the　poor；　and　large　sums　were　also　collected

among　trading　towns　in　the　remotest　parts　of　England；　and；　as　I　have

heard　also；　the　nobility　and　the　gentry　in　all　parts　of　England　took　the

deplorable　condition　of　the　city　into　their　consideration；　and　sent　up

large　sums　of　money　in　charity　to　the　Lord　Mayor　and　magistrates　for

the　relief　of　the　poor。　　The　king　also；　as　I　was　told；　ordered　a　thousand

pounds　a　week　to　be　distributed　in　four　parts：　one　quarter　to　the　city

and　liberty　of　Westminster；　one　quarter　or　part　among　the　inhabitants

of　the　Southwark　side　of　the　water；　one　quarter　to　the　liberty　and　parts

within　of　the　city；　exclusive　of　the　city　within　the　walls；　and　one…

fourth　part　to　the　suburbs　in　the　county　of　Middlesex；　and　the　east　and

north　parts　of　the　city。　　But　this　latter　I　only　speak　of　as　a　report。



Certain　it　is；　the　greatest　part　of　the　poor　or　families　who　formerly

lived　by　their　labour；　or　by　retail　trade；　lived　now　on　charity；　and　had

there　not　been　prodigious　sums　of　money　given　by　charitable；　well…

minded　Christians　for　the　support　of　such；　the　city　could　never　have

subsisted。　　There　were；　no　question；　accounts　kept　of　their　charity；　and

of　the　just　distribution　of　it　by　the　magistrates。　　But　as　such　multitudes

of　those　very　officers　died　through　whose　hands　it　was　distributed；

and　also　that；　as　I　have　been　told；　most　of　the　accounts　of　those　things

were　lost　in　the　great　fire　which　happened　in　the　very　next　year；　and

which　burnt　even　the　chamberlain's　office　and　many　of　their　papers；

so　I　could　never　come　at　the　particular　account；　which　I　used　great

endeavours　to　have　seen。



It　may；　however；　be　a　direction　in　case　of　the　approach　of　a　like

visitation；　which　God　keep　the　city　from；　…　I　say；　it　may　be　of　use　to

observe　that　by　the　care　of　the　Lord　Mayor　and　aldermen　at　that　time

in　distributing　weekly　great　sums　of　money　for　relief　of　the　poor；　a

multitude　of　people　who　would　otherwise　have　perished；　were

relieved；　and　their　lives　preserved。　　And　here　let　me　enter　into　a　brief

state　of　the　case　of　the　poor　at　that　time；　and　what　way　apprehended

from　them；　from　whence　may　be　judged　hereafter　what　may　be

expected　if　the　like　distress　should　come　upon　the　city。



At　the　beginning　of　the　plague；　when　there　was　now　no　more　hope

but　that　the　whole　city　would　be　visited；　when；　as　I　have　said；　all　that

had　friends　or　estates　in　the　country　retired　with　their　families；

and　when；　indeed；　one　would　have　thought　the　very　city　itself　was

running　out　of　the　gates；　and　that　there　would　be　nobody　left　behind；

you　may　be　sure　from　that　hour　all　trade；　except　such　as　related　to

immediate　subsistence；　was；　as　it　were；　at　a　full　stop。



This　is　so　lively　a　case；　and　contains　in　it　so　much　of　the　real

condition　of　the　people；　that　I　think　I　cannot　be　too　particular　in　it；

and　therefore　I　descend　to　the　several　arrangements　or　classes　of

people　who　fell　into　immediate　distress　upon　this　occasion。　　For　example：



1。　　All　master…workmen　in　manufactures；　especially　such　as　belonged

to　ornament　and　the　less　necessary　parts　of　the　people's　dress；　clothes；

and　furniture　for　houses；　such　as　riband…weavers　and　other　weavers；

gold　and　silver　lace　makers；　and　gold　and　silver　wire　drawers；

sempstresses；　milliners；　shoemakers；　hatmakers；　and　glovemakers；

also　upholsterers；　joiners；　cabinet…makers；　looking…glass　makers；　and

innumerable　trades　which　depend　upon　such　as　these；　…　I　say；　the

master…workmen　in　such　stopped　their　work；　dismissed　their

journeymen　and　workmen；　and　all　their　dependents。



2。　　As　merchandising　was　at　a　full　stop；　for　very　few　ships　ventured　to

come　up　the　river　and　none　at　all　went　out；　so　all　the　extraordinary

officers　of　the　customs；　likewise　the　watermen；　carmen；　porters；　and

all　the　poor　whose　labour　depended　upon　the　merchants；　were　at　once

dismissed　and　put　out　of　business。



3。　　All　the　tradesmen　usually　employed　in　building　or　repairing　of

houses　were　at　a　full　stop；　for　the　people　were　far　from　wanting　to

build　houses　when　so　many　thousand　houses　were　at　once　stripped　of

their　inhabitants；　so　that　this　one　article　turned　all　the　ordinary

workmen　of　that　kind　out　of　business；　such　as　bricklayers；　masons；

carpenters；　joiners；　plasterers；　painters；　glaziers；　smiths；　plumbers；　and

all　the　labourers　depending　on　such。



4。　　As　navigation　was　at　a　stop；　our　ships　neither　coming　in　or　going

out　as　before；　so　the　seamen　were　all　out　of　employment；　and　many　of

them　in　the　last　and　lowest　degree　of　distress；　and　with　the　seamen

were　all　the　several　tradesmen　and　workmen　belonging　to　and

depending　upon　the　building　and　fitting　out　of　ships；　such　as　ship…

carpenters；　caulkers；　ropemakers；　dry　coopers；　sailmakers；

anchorsmiths；　and　other　smiths；　blockmakers；　carvers；　gunsmiths；

ship…chandlers；　ship…carvers；　and　the　like。　　The　masters　of　those

perhaps　might　live　upon　their　substance；　but　the　traders　were

universally　at　a　stop；　and　consequently　all　their　workmen　discharged。

Add　to　these　that　the　river　was　in　a　manner　without　boats；　and　all　or

most　part　of　the　watermen；　lightermen；　boat…builders；　and　lighter…

builders　in　like　manner　idle　and　laid　by。



5。　　All　families　retrenched　their　living　as　much　as　possible；　as　well

those　that　fled　as　those　that　stayed；　so　that　an　innumerable　multitude

of　footmen；　serving…men；　shopkeepers；　journeymen；　merchants'

bookkeepers；　and　such　sort　of　people；　and　especially　poor　maid…

servants；　were　turned　off；　and　left　friendless　and　helpless；　without

employment　and　without　habitation；　and　this　was　really　a　dismal　article。





I　might　be　more　particular　as　to　this　part；　but　it　may　suffice　to

mention　in　general；　all　trades　being　stopped；　employment　ceased：　the

labour；　and　by　that　the　bread；　of　the　poor　were　cut　off；　and　at　first

indeed　the　cries　of　the　poor　were　most　lamentable　to　hear；　though　by

the　distribution　of　charity　their　misery　that　way　was　greatly　abated。

Many　indeed　fled　into　the　counties；　but　thousands　of　them　having

stayed　in　London　till　nothing　but　desperation　sent　them　away；　death

overtook　them　on　the　road；　and　they　served　for　no　better　than　the

messengers　of　death；　indeed；　others　carrying　the　infection　along　with

them；　spread　it　very　unhappily　into　the　remotest　parts　of　the　kingdom。



Many　of　these　were　the　miserable　objects　of　despair　which　I　have

mentioned　before；　and　were　removed　by　the　destruction　which

followed。　　These　might　be　said　to　perish　not　by　the　infection　itself　but

by　the　consequence　of　it；　indeed；　namely；　by　hunger　and　distress　and

the　want　of　all　things：　being　without　lodging；　without　money；　without

friends；　without　means　to　get　their　bread；　or　without　anyone　to　give　it

them；　for　many　of　them　were　without　what　we　call　legal　settlements；

and　so　could　not　claim　of　the　parishes；　and　all　the　support　they　had

was　by　application　to　the　magistrates　for　relief；　which　relief　was　（to

give　the　magistrates　their　due）　carefully　and　cheerfully　administered

as　they　found　it　necessary；　and　those　that　stayed　behind　never　felt　the

want　and　distress　of　that　kind　which　they　felt　who　went　away　in　the

manner　above　noted。



Let　any　one　who　is　acquainted　with　what　multitudes　of　people　get

their　daily　bread　in　this　city　by　their　labour；　whether　artificers　or　mere

workmen　…　I　say；　let　any　man　consider　what　must　be　the　miserable

condition　of　this　town　if；　on　a　sudden；　they　should　be　all　turned　out　of

employment；　that　labour　should　cease；　and　wages　for　work　be　no　more。



This　was　the　case　with　us　at　that　time；　and　had　not　the　sums　of

money　contributed　in　charity　by　well…disposed　people　of　every　kind；

as　well　abroad　as　at　home；　been　prodigiously　great；　it　had　not　been　in

the　power　of　the　Lord　Mayor　and　sheriffs　to　have　kept　the　public

peace。　　Nor　were　they　without　apprehensions；　as　it　was；　that

desperation　should　push　the　people　upon　tumults；　and　cause　them　to

rifle　the　houses　of　rich　men　and　plunder　the　markets　of　provisions；　in

which　case　the　country　people；　who　brought　provisions　very　freely

and　boldly　to　town；　would　have　been　terrified　from　coming　any　more；

and　the　town　would　have　sunk　under　an　unavoidable　famine。



But　the　prudence　of　my　Lord　Mayor　and　the　Court　of　Aldermen

within　the　city；　and　of　the　justices　of　peace　in　the　out…parts；　was　such；

and　they　were　supported　with　money　from　all　parts　so　well；　that　the

poor　people　were　kept　quiet；　and　their　wants　everywhere　relieved；　as

far　as　was　possible　to　be　done。



Two　things　besides　this　contributed　to　prevent　the　mob　doing　any

mischief。　　One　was；　that　really　the　rich　themselves　had　not　laid　up

stores　of　provisions　in　their　houses　as　indeed　they　ought　to　have　done；

and　which　if　they　had　been　wise　enough　to　have　done；　and　locked

themselves　entirely　up；　as　some　few　did；　they　had　perhaps　escaped　the

disease　better。　　But　as　it　appeared　they　had　not；　so　the　mob　had　no

notion　of　finding　stores　of　provisions　there　if　they　had　broken　in。　as　it

is　plain　they　were　sometimes　very　near　doing；　and　which：　if　they　bad；

they　had　finished　the　ruin　of　the　whole　city；　for　there　were　no　regular

troops　to　have　withstood　them；　nor　could　the　trained　bands　have　been

brought　together　to　defend　the　city；　no　men　being　to　be　found　to　bear　arms。



But　the　vigilance　of　the　Lord　Mayor　and　such　magistrates　as　could

be