part6-第10章

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shut　up；　and　then　let　the　air　carry　it　all　out　with　a　blast　of　gunpowder；

others　caused　large　fires　to　be　made　all　day　and　all　night　for　several

days　and　nights；　by　the　same　token　that　two　or　three　were　pleased　to

set　their　houses　on　fire；　and　so　effectually　sweetened　them　by　burning

them　down　to　the　ground；　as　particularly　one　at　Ratcliff；　one　in

Holbourn；　and　one　at　Westminster；　besides　two　or　three　that　were　set

on　fire；　but　the　fire　was　happily　got　out　again　before　it　went　far

enough　to　bum　down　the　houses；　and　one　citizen's　servant；　I　think　it

was　in　Thames　Street；　carried　so　much　gunpowder　into　his　master's

house；　for　clearing　it　of　the　infection；　and　managed　it　so　foolishly；　that

he　blew　up　part　of　the　roof　of　the　house。　　But　the　time　was　not　fully

come　that　the　city　was　to　he　purged　by　fire；　nor　was　it　far　off；　for

within　nine　months　more　I　saw　it　all　lying　in　ashes；　when；　as　some　of

our　quacking　philosophers　pretend；　the　seeds　of　the　plague　were

entirely　destroyed；　and　not　before；　a　notion　too　ridiculous　to　speak　of

here：　since；　had　the　seeds　of　the　plague　remained　in　the　houses；　not　to

be　destroyed　but　by　fire；　how　has　it　been　that　they　have　not　since

broken　out；　seeing　all　those　buildings　in　the　suburbs　and　liberties；　all

in　the　great　parishes　of　Stepney；　Whitechappel；　Aldgate；　Bishopsgate；

Shoreditch；　Cripplegate；　and　St　Giles；　where　the　fire　never　came；　and

where　the　plague　raged　with　the　greatest　violence；　remain　still　in　the

same　condition　they　were　in　before？



But　to　leave　these　things　just　as　I　found　them；　it　was　certain　that

those　people　who　were　more　than　ordinarily　cautious　of　their　health；

did　take　particular　directions　for　what　they　called　seasoning　of　their

houses；　and　abundance　of　costly　things　were　consumed　on　that

account　which　I　cannot　but　say　not　only　seasoned　those　houses；　as

they　desired；　but　filled　the　air　with　very　grateful　and　wholesome

smells　which　others　had　the　share　of　the　benefit　of　as　well　as　those

who　were　at　the　expenses　of　them。



And　yet　after　all；　though　the　poor　came　to　town　very　precipitantly；

as　I　have　said；　yet　I　must　say　the　rich　made　no　such　haste。　　The　men　of

business；　indeed；　came　up；　but　many　of　them　did　not　bring　their

families　to　town　till　the　spring　came　on；　and　that　they　saw　reason　to

depend　upon　it　that　the　plague　would　not　return。



The　Court；　indeed；　came　up　soon　after　Christmas；　but　the　nobility

and　gentry；　except　such　as　depended　upon　and　had　employment　under

the　administration；　did　not　come　so　soon。



I　should　have　taken　notice　here　that；　notwithstanding　the　violence　of

the　plague　in　London　and　in　other　places；　yet　it　was　very　observable

that　it　was　never　on　board　the　fleet；　and　yet　for　some　time　there　was　a

strange　press　in　the　river；　and　even　in　the　streets；　for　seamen　to　man

the　fleet。　　But　it　was　in　the　beginning　of　the　year；　when　the　plague　was

scarce　begun；　and　not　at　all　come　down　to　that　part　of　the　city　where

they　usually　press　for　seamen；　and　though　a　war　with　the　Dutch　was

not　at　all　grateful　to　the　people　at　that　time；　and　the　seamen　went　with

a　kind　of　reluctancy　into　the　service；　and　many　complained　of　being

dragged　into　it　by　force；　yet　it　proved　in　the　event　a　happy　violence　to

several　of　them；　who　had　probably　perished　in　the　general　calamity；

and　who；　after　the　summer　service　was　over；　though　they　had　cause　to

lament　the　desolation　of　their　families　…　who；　when　they　came　back；

were　many　of　them　in　their　graves　…　yet　they　had　room　to　be　thankful

that　they　were　carried　out　of　the　reach　of　it；　though　so　much　against

their　wills。　　We　indeed　had　a　hot　war　with　the　Dutch　that　year；　and

one　very　great　engagement　at　sea　in　which　the　Dutch　were　worsted；

but　we　lost　a　great　many　men　and　some　ships。　　But；　as　I　observed；　the

plague　was　not　in　the　fleet；　and　when　they　came　to　lay　up　the　ships　in

the　river　the　violent　part　of　it　began　to　abate。



I　would　be　glad　if　I　could　close　the　account　of　this　melancholy　year

with　some　particular　examples　historically；　I　mean　of　the　thankfulness

to　God；　our　preserver；　for　our　being　delivered　from　this　dreadful

calamity。　　Certainly　the　circumstance　of　the　deliverance；　as　well　as　the

terrible　enemy　we　were　delivered　from；　called　upon　the　whole　nation

for　it。　　The　circumstances　of　the　deliverance　were　indeed　very

remarkable；　as　I　have　in　part　mentioned　already；　and　particularly　the

dreadful　condition　which　we　were　all　in　when　we　were　to　the　surprise

of　the　whole　town　made　joyful　with　the　hope　of　a　stop　of　the　infection。



Nothing　but　the　immediate　finger　of　God；　nothing　but　omnipotent

power；　could　have　done　it。　　The　contagion　despised　all　medicine；

death　raged　in　every　corner；　and　had　it　gone　on　as　it　did　then；　a　few

weeks　more　would　have　cleared　the　town　of　all；　and　everything　that

had　a　soul。　　Men　everywhere　began　to　despair；　every　heart　failed　them

for　fear；　people　were　made　desperate　through　the　anguish　of　their

souls；　and　the　terrors　of　death　sat　in　the　very　faces　and　countenances

of　the　people。



In　that　very　moment　when　we　might　very　well　say；　'Vain　was　the

help　of　man'；　…　I　say；　in　that　very　moment　it　pleased　God；　with　a　most

agreeable　surprise；　to　cause　the　fury　of　it　to　abate；　even　of　itself；　and

the　malignity　declining；　as　I　have　said；　though　infinite　numbers　were

sick；　yet　fewer　died；　and　the　very　first　weeks'　bill　decreased　1843；　a

vast　number　indeed！



It　is　impossible　to　express　the　change　that　appeared　in　the　very

countenances　of　the　people　that　Thursday　morning　when　the　weekly

bill　came　out。　　It　might　have　been　perceived　in　their　countenances　that

a　secret　surprise　and　smile　of　joy　sat　on　everybody's　face。　　They　shook

one　another　by　the　hands　in　the　streets；　who　would　hardly　go　on　the

same　side　of　the　way　with　one　another　before。　　Where　the　streets　were

not　too　broad　they　would　open　their　windows　and　call　from　one　house

to　another；　and　ask　how　they　did；　and　if　they　had　heard　the　good　news

that　the　plague　was　abated。　　Some　would　return；　when　they　said　good

news；　and　ask；　'What　good　news？'　and　when　they　answered　that　the

plague　was　abated　and　the　bills　decreased　almost　two　thousand；　they

would　cry　out；　'God　be　praised　I'　and　would　weep　aloud　for　joy；　telling

them　they　had　heard　nothing　of　it；　and　such　was　the　joy　of　the　people

that　it　was；　as　it　were；　life　to　them　from　the　grave。　　I　could　almost　set

down　as　many　extravagant　things　done　in　the　excess　of　their　joy　as　of

their　grief；　but　that　would　be　to　lessen　the　value　of　it。



I　must　confess　myself　to　have　been　very　much　dejected　just　before

this　happened；　for　the　prodigious　number　that　were　taken　sick　the

week　or　two　before；　besides　those　that　died；　was　such；　and　the

lamentations　were　so　great　everywhere；　that　a　man　must　have　seemed

to　have　acted　even　against　his　reason　if　he　had　so　much　as　expected　to

escape；　and　as　there　was　hardly　a　house　but　mine　in　all　my

neighbourhood　but　was　infected；　so　had　it　gone　on　it　would　not　have

been　long　that　there　would　have　been　any　more　neighbours　to　be

infected。　　Indeed　it　is　hardly　credible　what　dreadful　havoc　the　last

three　weeks　had　made；　for　if　I　might　believe　the　person　whose

calculations　I　always　found　very　well　grounded；　there　were　not　less

than　30；000　people　dead　and　near　100。000　fallen　sick　in　the　three

weeks　I　speak　of；　for　the　number　that　sickened　was　surprising；　indeed

it　was　astonishing；　and　those　whose　courage　upheld　them　all　the　time

before；　sank　under　it　now。



In　the　middle　of　their　distress；　when　the　condition　of　the　city　of

London　was　so　truly　calamitous；　just　then　it　pleased　God　…　as　it　were

by　His　immediate　hand　to　disarm　this　enemy；　the　poison　was　taken

out　of　the　sting。　　It　was　wonderful；　even　the　physicians　themselves

were　surprised　at　it。　　Wherever　they　visited　they　found　their　patients

better；　either　they　had　sweated　kindly；　or　the　tumours　were　broke；　or

the　carbuncles　went　down　and　the　inflammations　round　them　changed

colour；　or　the　fever　was　gone；　or　the　violent　headache　was　assuaged；

or　some　good　symptom　was　in　the　case；　so　that　in　a　few　days

everybody　was　recovering；　whole　families　that　were　infected　and

down；　that　had　ministers　praying　with　them；　and　expected　death　every

hour；　were　revived　and　healed；　and　none　died　at　all　out　of　them。



Nor　was　this　by　any　new　medicine　found　out；　or　new　method　of　cure

discovered；　or　by　any　experience　in　the　operation　which　the

physicians　or　surgeons　attained　to；　but　it　was　evidently　from　the　secret

invisible　hand　of　Him　that　had　at　first　sent　this　disease　as　a　judgement

upon　us；　and　let　the　atheistic　part　of　mankind　call　my　saying　what

they　please；　it　is　no　enthusiasm；　it　was　acknowledged　at　that　time　by

all　mankind。　　The　disease　was　enervated　and　its　malignity　spent；　and

let　it　proceed　from　whencesoever　it　will；　let　the　philosophers　search

for　reasons　in　nature　to　account　for　it　by；　and　labour　as　much　as　they

will　to　lessen　the　debt　they　owe　to　their　Maker；　those　physicians　who

had　the　least　share　of　religion　in　them　were　obliged　to　acknowledge

that　it　was　all　supernatural；　that　it　was　extraordinary；　and　that　no

account　could　be　given　of　it。



If　I　should　say　that　this　is　a　visible　summons　to　us　all　to

thankfulness；　especially　we　that　were　under　the　terror　of　its　increase；

perhaps　it　may　be　thought　by　some；　after　the　sense　of　the　thing　was

over；　an　officious　canting　of　religious　things；　preaching　a　sermon

instead　of　writing　a　history；　making　myself　a　teacher　instead　of　giving

my　observations　of　things；　and　this　restrains　me　very　much　from　going

on　here　as　I　might　otherwise　do。　　But　if　ten　lepers　Were　healed；　and

but　one　returned　to　give　thanks；　I　desire　to　be　as　that　one；　and　to　be

thankful　for　myself。



Nor　will　I　deny　but　there　were　abundance　of　people　who；　to　all　appearance；

were　very　thankful　at　that　time；　for　their　mouths　were　stopped；　even　the

mouths　of　those　whose　hearts　were　not　extraordinary　long　affected　with　it。

But　the　impression　was　so　strong　at　that　time　that　it　could　not　be　resisted；

no；　not　by　the　worst　of　the　people。



It　was　a　common　thing　to　meet　people　in　the　street　that　were

strangers；　and　that　we　knew　nothing　at　all　of；　expressing　their　surprise。

Going　one　day　through　Aldgate；　and　a　pretty　many　people　being

passing　and　repassing；　there　comes　a　man　out　of　the　end　of　the

Minories；　and　looking　a　little　up　the　street　and　down；　he　throws　his

hands　abroad；　'Lord；　what　an　alteration　is　here　I　Why；　last　week　I

came　along　here；　and　hardly　anybody　was　to　he　seen。'　Another　man　…　I

heard　him　…　adds　to　his　words；　〃Tis　all　wonderful；　'tis　all　a　dream。'

'Blessed　be　God；'　says　a　third　man；　d　and　let　us　give　thanks　to　Him；　for

'tis　all　His　own　doing；　human　help　and　human　skill　was　at　an　end。'

These　were　all　strangers　to　one　another。　　But　such　salutations　as　these

were　frequent　in　the　street　every　day；　and　in　spite　of　a　loose

behaviour；　the　very　common　people　went