part6-第4章

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health　of　so　many　thousands；　and　keeping　so　many　thousands　of

families　from　perishing　and　starving。



And　now　I　am　talking　of　the　merciful　disposition　of　Providence　in

this　time　of　calamity；　I　cannot　but　mention　again；　though　I　have

spoken　several　times　of　it　already　on　other　accounts；　I　mean　that　of

the　progression　of　the　distemper；　how　it　began　at　one　end　of　the　town；

and　proceeded　gradually　and　slowly　from　one　part　to　another；　and　like

a　dark　cloud　that　passes　over　our　heads；　which；　as　it　thickens　and

overcasts　the　air　at　one　end；　dears　up　at　the　other　end；　so；　while　the

plague　went　on　raging　from　west　to　east；　as　it　went　forwards　east；　it

abated　in　the　west；　by　which　means　those　parts　of　the　town　which

were　not　seized；　or　who　were　left；　and　where　it　had　spent　its　fury；

were　（as　it　were）　spared　to　help　and　assist　the　other；　whereas；　had　the

distemper　spread　itself　over　the　whole　city　and　suburbs；　at　once；

raging　in　all　places　alike；　as　it　has　done　since　in　some　places　abroad；

the　whole　body　of　the　people　must　have　been　overwhelmed；　and　there

would　have　died　twenty　thousand　a　day；　as　they　say　there　did　at

Naples；；　nor　would　the　people　have　been　able　to　have　helped　or

assisted　one　another。



For　it　must　be　observed　that　where　the　plague　was　in　its　full　force；

there　indeed　the　people　were　very　miserable；　and　the　consternation

was　inexpressible。　　But　a　little　before　it　reached　even　to　that　place；　or

presently　after　it　was　gone；　they　were　quite　another　sort　of　people；　and

I　cannot　but　acknowledge　that　there　was　too　much　of　that　common

temper　of　mankind　to　be　found　among　us　all　at　that　time；　namely；　to

forget　the　deliverance　when　the　danger　is　past。　　But　I　shall　come　to

speak　of　that　part　again。



It　must　not　be　forgot　here　to　take　some　notice　of　the　state　of　trade

during　the　time　of　this　common　calamity；　and　this　with　respect　to

foreign　trade；　as　also　to　our　home　trade。



As　to　foreign　trade；　there　needs　little　to　be　said。　　The　trading　nations

of　Europe　were　all　afraid　of　us；　no　port　of　France；　or　Holland；　or

Spain；　or　Italy　would　admit　our　ships　or　correspond　with　us；　indeed

we　stood　on　ill　terms　with　the　Dutch；　and　were　in　a　furious　war　with

them；　but　though　in　a　bad　condition　to　fight　abroad；　who　had　such

dreadful　enemies　to　struggle　with　at　home。



Our　merchants　were　accordingly　at　a　full　stop；　their　ships　could　go

nowhere　…　that　is　to　say；　to　no　place　abroad；　their　manufactures　and

merchandise　…　that　is　to　say；　of　our　growth　…　would　not　be　touched

abroad。　　They　were　as　much　afraid　of　our　goods　as　they　were　of　our

people；　and　indeed　they　had　reason：　for　our　woollen　manufactures　are

as　retentive　of　infection　as　human　bodies；　and　if　packed　up　by　persons

infected；　would　receive　the　infection　and　be　as　dangerous　to　touch　as

a　man　would　be　that　was　infected；　and　therefore；　when　any　English

vessel　arrived　in　foreign　countries；　if　they　did　take　the　goods　on　shore；

they　always　caused　the　bales　to　be　opened　and　aired　in　places

appointed　for　that　purpose。　　But　from　London　they　would　not　suffer

them　to　come　into　port；　much　less　to　unlade　their　goods；　upon　any

terms　whatever；　and　this　strictness　was　especially　used　with　them　in

Spain　and　Italy。　　In　Turkey　and　the　islands　of　the　Arches　indeed；　as

they　are　called；　as　well　those　belonging　to　the　Turks　as　to　the

Venetians；　they　were　not　so　very　rigid。　　In　the　first　there　was　no

obstruction　at　all；　and　four　ships　which　were　then　in　the　river　loading

for　Italy　…　that　is；　for　Leghorn　and　Naples　…　being　denied　product；　as

they　call　it；　went　on　to　Turkey；　and　were　freely　admitted　to　unlade

their　cargo　without　any　difficulty；　only　that　when　they　arrived　there；

some　of　their　cargo　was　not　fit　for　sale　in　that　country；　and　other　parts

of　it　being　consigned　to　merchants　at　Leghorn；　the　captains　of　the

ships　had　no　right　nor　any　orders　to　dispose　of　the　goods；　so　that　great

inconveniences　followed　to　the　merchants。　　But　this　was　nothing　but

what　the　necessity　of　affairs　required；　and　the　merchants　at　Leghorn

and　Naples　having　notice　given　them；　sent　again　from　thence　to　take

care　of　the　effects　which　were　particularly　consigned　to　those　ports；

and　to　bring　back　in　other　ships　such　as　were　improper　for　the　markets

at　Smyrna　and　Scanderoon。



The　inconveniences　in　Spain　and　Portugal　were　still　greater；　for　they

would　by　no　means　suffer　our　ships；　especially　those　from　London；　to

come　into　any　of　their　ports；　much　less　to　unlade。　　There　was　a　report

that　one　of　our　ships　having　by　stealth　delivered　her　cargo；　among

which　was　some　bales　of　English　cloth；　cotton；　kerseys；　and　such…like

goods；　the　Spaniards　caused　all　the　goods　to　be　burned；　and　punished

the　men　with　death　who　were　concerned　in　carrying　them　on　shore。

This；　I　believe；　was　in　part　true；　though　I　do　not　affirm　it；　but　it　is　not

at　all　unlikely；　seeing　the　danger　was　really　very　great；　the　infection

being　so　violent　in　London。



I　heard　likewise　that　the　plague　was　carried　into　those　countries　by

some　of　our　ships；　and　particularly　to　the　port　of　Faro　in　the　kingdom

of　Algarve；　belonging　to　the　King　of　Portugal；　and　that　several　persons

died　of　it　there；　but　it　was　not　confirmed。



On　the　other　hand；　though　the　Spaniards　and　Portuguese　were　so　shy

of　us；　it　is　most　certain　that　the　plague　（as　has　been　said）　keeping　at

first　much　at　that　end　of　the　town　next　Westminster；　the

merchandising　part　of　the　town　（such　as　the　city　and　the　water…side）

was　perfectly　sound　till　at　least　the　beginning　of　July；　and　the　ships　in

the　river　till　the　beginning　of　August；　for　to　the　1st　of　July　there　had

died　but　seven　within　the　whole　city；　and　but　sixty　within　the　liberties；

but　one　in　all　the　parishes　of　Stepney；　Aldgate；　and　Whitechappel；　and

but　two　in　the　eight　parishes　of　Southwark。　　But　it　was　the　same　thing

abroad；　for　the　bad　news　was　gone　over　the　whole　world　that　the　city

of　London　was　infected　with　the　plague；　and　there　was　no　inquiring

there　how　the　infection　proceeded；　or　at　which　part　of　the　town　it　was

begun　or　was　reached　to。



Besides；　after　it　began　to　spread　it　increased　so　fast；　and　the　bills

grew　so　high　all　on　a　sudden；　that　it　was　to　no　purpose　to　lessen　the

report　of　it；　or　endeavour　to　make　the　people　abroad　think　it　better

than　it　was；　the　account　which　the　weekly　bills　gave　in　was　sufficient；

and　that　there　died　two　thousand　to　three　or…four　thousand　a　week　was

sufficient　to　alarm　the　whole　trading　part　of　the　world；　and　the

following　time；　being　so　dreadful　also　in　the　very　city　itself；　put　the

whole　world；　I　say；　upon　their　guard　against　it。



You　may　be　sure；　also；　that　the　report　of　these　things　lost　nothing　in

the　carriage。　　The　plague　was　itself　very　terrible；　and　the　distress　of

the　people　very　great；　as　you　may　observe　of　what　I　have　said。　　But　the

rumour　was　infinitely　greater；　and　it　must　not　be　wondered　that　our

friends　abroad　（as　my　brother's　correspondents　in　particular　were　told

there；　namely；　in　Portugal　and　Italy；　where　he　chiefly　traded）　＇said＇

that　in　London　there　died　twenty　thousand　in　a　week；　that　the　dead

bodies　lay　unburied　by　heaps；　that　the　living　were　not　sufficient　to

bury　the　dead　or　the　sound　to　look　after　the　sick；　that　all　the　kingdom

was　infected　likewise；　so　that　it　was　an　universal　malady　such　as　was

never　heard　of　in　those　parts　of　the　world；　and　they　could　hardly

believe　us　when　we　gave　them　an　account　how　things　really　were；　and

how　there　was　not　above　one…tenth　part　of　the　people　dead；　that　there

was　500；000；　left　that　lived　all　the　time　in　the　town；　that　now　the

people　began　to　walk　the　streets　again；　and　those　who　were　fled　to

return；　there　was　no　miss　of　the　usual　throng　of　people　in　the　streets；

except　as　every　family　might　miss　their　relations　and　neighbours；　and

the　like。　　I　say　they　could　not　believe　these　things；　and　if　inquiry　were

now　to　be　made　in　Naples；　or　in　other　cities　on　the　coast　of　Italy；　they

would　tell　you　that　there　was　a　dreadful　infection　in　London　so　many　years　ago；

in　which；　as　above；　there　died　twenty　thousand　in　a　week；　&c。；　just　as　we　have

had　it　reported　in　London　that　there　was　a　plague　in　the　city　of　Naples

in　the　year　1656；　in　which　there　died　20；000　people　in　a　day；　of　which

I　have　had　very　good　satisfaction　that　it　was　utterly　false。



But　these　extravagant　reports　were　very　prejudicial　to　our　trade；　as

well　as　unjust　and　injurious　in　themselves；　for　it　was　a　long　time　after

the　plague　was　quite　over　before　our　trade　could　recover　itself　in　those

parts　of　the　world；　and　the　Flemings　and　Dutch　（but　especially　the

last）　made　very　great　advantages　of　it；　having　all　the　market　to

themselves；　and　even　buying　our　manufactures　in　several　parts　of

England　where　the　plague　was　not；　and　carrying　them　to　Holland　and

Flanders；　and　from　thence　transporting　them　to　Spain　and　to　Italy　as　if

they　had　been　of　their　own　making。



But　they　were　detected　sometimes　and　punished：　that　is　to　say；　their

goods　confiscated　and　ships　also；　for　if　it　was　true　that　our

manufactures　as　well　as　our　people　were　infected；　and　that　it　was

dangerous　to　touch　or　to　open　and　receive　the　smell　of　them；　then

those　people　ran　the　hazard　by　that　clandestine　trade　not　only　of

carrying　the　contagion　into　their　own　country；　but　also　of　infecting　the

nations　to　whom　they　traded　with　those　goods；　which；　considering

how　many　lives　might　be　lost　in　consequence　of　such　an　action；　must

be　a　trade　that　no　men　of　conscience　could　suffer　themselves　to　be

concerned　in。



I　do　not　take　upon　me　to　say　that　any　harm　was　done；　I　mean　of　that

kind；　by　those　people。　　But　I　doubt　I　need　not　make　any　such　proviso

in　the　case　of　our　own　country；　for　either　by　our　people　of　London；　or

by　the　commerce　which　made　their　conversing　with　all　sorts　of　people

in　every　country　and　of　every　considerable　town　necessary；　I　say；　by

this　means　the　plague　was　first　or　last　spread　all　over　the　kingdom；　as

well　in　London　as　in　all　the　cities　and　great　towns；　especially　in　the

trading　manufacturing　towns　and　seaports；　so　that；　first　or　last；　all　the

considerable　places　in　England　were　visited　more　or　less；　and　the

kingdom　of　Ireland　in　some　places；　but　not　so　universally。　　How　it

fared　with　the　people　in　Scotland　I　had　no　opportunity　to　inquire。



It　is　to　be　observed　that　while　the　plague　continued　so　violent　in

London；　the　outports；　as　they　are　called；　enjoyed　a　very　great　trade；

especially　to　the　adjacent　countries　and　to　our　own　plantations。　　For

example；　the　towns　of　Colchester；　Yarmouth；　and　Hun；　on　that　side　of

England；　exported　to　Holland　and　Hamburg　the　manufactures　of　the

adjacent　countries　for　several　months　after　the　trade　with　London　was；

as　it　were；　entirely　shut　up；　likewise　the　cities　of　Bristol　and　Exeter；

with　the　port　of　Plymouth；　had　the　like　advantage　to　Spain；　to　the

Canaries；　to　Guinea；　and　to　the　West　Indies；　and　particularly　to