part6-第6章

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general　stop　of　all　those　manufactures　followed　of　course　which　were

usually　brought　for　exportation；　and　though　sometimes　merchants

abroad　were　importunate　for　goods；　yet　little　was　sent；　the　passages

being　so　generally　stopped　that　the　English　ships　would　not　be

admitted；　as　is　said　already；　into　their　port。



This　put　a　stop　to　the　manufactures　that　were　for　exportation　in　most

parts　of　England；　except　in　some　out…ports；　and　even　that　was　soon

stopped；　for　they　all　had　the　plague　in　their　turn。　　But　though　this　was

felt　all　over　England；　yet；　what　was　still　worse；　all　intercourse　of　trade

for　home　consumption　of　manufactures；　especially　those　which

usually　circulated　through　the　Londoner's　hands；　was　stopped　at　once；

the　trade　of　the　city　being　stopped。



All　kinds　of　handicrafts　in　the　city；　&c。；　tradesmen　and　mechanics；

were；　as　I　have　said　before；　out　of　employ；　and　this　occasioned　the

putting…off　and　dismissing　an　innumerable　number　of　journeymen　and

workmen　of　all　sorts；　seeing　nothing　was　done　relating　to　such　trades

but　what　might　be　said　to　be　absolutely　necessary。



This　caused　the　multitude　of　single　people　in　London　to　be

unprovided　for；　as　also　families　whose　living　depended　upon　the

labour　of　the　heads　of　those　families；　I　say；　this　reduced　them　to

extreme　misery；　and　I　must　confess　it　is　for　the　honour　of　the　city　of

London；　and　will　be　for　many　ages；　as　long　as　this　is　to　be　spoken　of；

that　they　were　able　to　supply　with　charitable　provision　the　wants　of　so

many　thousands　of　those　as　afterwards　fell　sick　and　were　distressed：

so　that　it　may　be　safely　averred　that　nobody　perished　for　want；　at　least

that　the　magistrates　had　any　notice　given　them　of。



This　stagnation　of　our　manufacturing　trade　in　the　country　would

have　put　the　people　there　to　much　greater　difficulties；　but　that　the

master…workmen；　clothiers　and　others；　to　the　uttermost　of　their　stocks

and　strength；　kept　on　making　their　goods　to　keep　the　poor　at　work；

believing　that　soon　as　the　sickness　should　abate　they　would　have　a

quick　demand　in　proportion　to　the　decay　of　their　trade　at　that　time。

But　as　none　but　those　masters　that　were　rich　could　do　thus；　and　that

many　were　poor　and　not　able；　the　manufacturing　trade　in　England

suffered　greatly；　and　the　poor　were　pinched　all　over　England　by　the

calamity　of　the　city　of　London　only。



It　is　true　that　the　next　year　made　them　full　amends　by　another

terrible　calamity　upon　the　city；　so　that　the　city　by　one　calamity

impoverished　and　weakened　the　country；　and　by　another　calamity；

even　terrible　too　of　its　kind；　enriched　the　country　and　made　them

again　amends；　for　an　infinite　quantity　of　household　Stuff；　wearing

apparel；　and　other　things；　besides　whole　warehouses　filled　with

merchandise　and　manufactures　such　as　come　from　all　parts　of

England；　were　consumed　in　the　fire　of　London　the　next　year　after　this

terrible　visitation。　　It　is　incredible　what　a　trade　this　made　all　over　the

whole　kingdom；　to　make　good　the　want　and　to　supply　that　loss；　so

that；　in　short；　all　the　manufacturing　hands　in　the　nation　were　set　on

work；　and　were　little　enough　for　several　years　to　supply　the　market

and　answer　the　demands。　　All　foreign　markets　also　were　empty　of　our

goods　by　the　stop　which　had　been　occasioned　by　the　plague；　and

before　an　open　trade　was　allowed　again；　and　the　prodigious　demand　at

home　falling　in；　joined　to　make　a　quick　vent　for　all　sort　of　goods；　so

that　there　never　was　known　such　a　trade　all　over　England　for　the　time

as　was　in　the　first　seven　years　after　the　plague；　and　after　the

fire　of　London。



It　remains　now　that　I　should　say　something　of　the　merciful　part　of

this　terrible　judgement。　　The　last　week　in　September；　the　plague　being

come　to　its　crisis；　its　fury　began　to　assuage。　　I　remember　my　friend　Dr

Heath；　coming　to　see　me　the　week　before；　told　me　he　was　sure　that　the

violence　of　it　would　assuage　in　a　few　days；　but　when　I　saw　the　weekly

bill　of　that　week；　which　was　the　highest　of　the　whole　year；　being　8297

of　all　diseases；　I　upbraided　him　with　it；　and　asked　him　what　he　had

made　his　judgement　from。　　His　answer；　however；　was　not　so　much　to

seek　as　I　thought　it　would　have　been。　　'Look　you；'　says　he；　'by　the

number　which　are　at　this　time　sick　and　infected；　there　should　have

been　twenty　thousand　dead　the　last　week　instead　of　eight　thousand；　if

the　inveterate　mortal　contagion　had　been　as　it　was　two　weeks　ago；　for

then　it　ordinarily　killed　in　two　or　three　days；　now　not　under　eight　or

ten；　and　then　not　above　one　in　five　recovered；　whereas　I　have

observed　that　now　not　above　two　in　five　miscarry。　　And；　observe　it

from　me；　the　next　bill　will　decrease；　and　you　will　see　many　more

people　recover　than　used　to　do；　for　though　a　vast　multitude　are　now

everywhere　infected；　and　as　many　every　day　fall　sick；　yet　there　will

not　so　many　die　as　there　did；　for　the　malignity　of　the　distemper　is

abated'；　…　adding　that　he　began　now　to　hope；　nay；　more　than　hope；　that

the　infection　had　passed　its　crisis　and　was　going　off；　and　accordingly

so　it　was；　for　the　next　week　being；　as　I　said；　the　last　in　September；　the

bill　decreased　almost　two　thousand。



It　is　true　the　plague　was　still　at　a　frightful　height；　and　the　next　bill

was　no　less　than　6460；　and　the　next　to　that；　5720；　but　still　my　friend's

observation　was　just；　and　it　did　appear　the　people　did　recover　faster

and　more　in　number　than　they　used　to　do；　and　indeed；　if　it　had　not

been　so；　what　had　been　the　condition　of　the　city　of　London？　　For；

according　to　my　friend；　there　were　not　fewer　than　60；000　people　at

that　time　infected；　whereof；　as　above；　20；477　died；　and　near　40；000

recovered；　whereas；　had　it　been　as　it　was　before；　50；000　of　that

number　would　very　probably　have　died；　if　not　more；　and　50；000　more

would　have　sickened；　for；　in　a　word；　the　whole　mass　of　people　began

to　sicken；　and　it　looked　as　if　none　would　escape。



But　this　remark　of　my　friend's　appeared　more　evident　in　a　few

weeks　more；　for　the　decrease　went　on；　and　another　week　in　October　it

decreased　1843；　so　that　the　number　dead　of　the　plague　was　but　2665；

and　the　next　week　it　decreased　1413　more；　and　yet　it　was　seen　plainly

that　there　was　abundance　of　people　sick；　nay；　abundance　more　than

ordinary；　and　abundance　fell　sick　every　day　but　（as　above）　the

malignity　of　the　disease　abated。



Such　is　the　precipitant　disposition　of　our　people　（whether　it　is　so　or

not　all　over　the　world；　that's　none　of　my　particular　business　to

inquire）；　but　I　saw　it　apparently　here；　that　as　upon　the　first　fright　of

the　infection　they　shunned　one　another；　and　fled　from　one　another's

houses　and　from　the　city　with　an　unaccountable　and；　as　I　thought；

unnecessary　fright；　so　now；　upon　this　notion　spreading；　viz。；　that　the

distemper　was　not　so　catching　as　formerly；　and　that　if　it　was　catched　it

was　not　so　mortal；　and　seeing　abundance　of　people　who　really　fell

sick　recover　again　daily；　they　took　to　such　a　precipitant　courage；　and

grew　so　entirely　regardless　of　themselves　and　of　the　infection；　that

they　made　no　more　of　the　plague　than　of　an　ordinary　fever；　nor　indeed

so　much。　　They　not　only　went　boldly　into　company　with　those　who

had　tumours　and　carbuncles　upon　them　that　were　running；　and

consequently　contagious；　but　ate　and　drank　with　them；　nay；　into　their

houses　to　visit　them；　and　even；　as　I　was　told；　into　their　very　chambers

where　they　lay　sick。



This　I　could　not　see　rational。　　My　friend　Dr　Heath　allowed；　and　it

was　plain　to　experience；　that　the　distemper　was　as　catching　as　ever；

and　as　many　fell　sick；　but　only　he　alleged　that　so　many　of　those　that

fell　sick　did　not　die；　but　I　think　that　while　many　did　die；　and　that　at

best　the　distemper　itself　was　very　terrible；　the　sores　and　swellings　very

tormenting；　and　the　danger　of　death　not　left　out　of　the　circumstances

of　sickness；　though　not　so　frequent　as　before；　all　those　things；　together

with　the　exceeding　tediousness　of　the　cure；　the　loathsomeness　of　the

disease；　and　many　other　articles；　were　enough　to　deter　any　man　living

from　a　dangerous　mixture　with　the　sick　people；　and　make　them　as

anxious　almost　to　avoid　the　infections　as　before。



Nay；　there　was　another　thing　which　made　the　mere　catching　of　the

distemper　frightful；　and　that　was　the　terrible　burning　of　the　caustics

which　the　surgeons　laid　on　the　swellings　to　bring　them　to　break　and　to

run；　without　which　the　danger　of　death　was　very　great；　even　to　the

last。　　Also；　the　insufferable　torment　of　the　swellings；　which；　though　it

might　not　make　people　raving　and　distracted；　as　they　were　before；　and

as　I　have　given　several　instances　of　already；　yet　they　put　the　patient　to

inexpressible　torment；　and　those　that　fell　into　it；　though　they　did

escape　with　life；　yet　they　made　bitter　complaints　of　those　that　had　told

them　there　was　no　danger；　and　sadly　repented　their　rashness　and　folly

in　venturing　to　run　into　the　reach　of　it。



Nor　did　this　unwary　conduct　of　the　people　end　here；　for　a　great

many　that　thus　cast　off　their　cautions　suffered　more　deeply　still；　and

though　many　escaped；　yet　many　died；　and　at　least　it　had　this　public

mischief　attending　it；　that　it　made　the　decrease　of　burials　slower　than

it　would　otherwise　have　been。　　For　as　this　notion　ran　like　lightning

through　the　city；　and　people's　heads　were　possessed　with　it；　even　as

soon　as　the　first　great　decrease　in　the　bills　appeared；　we　found　that　the

two　next　bills　did　not　decrease　in　proportion；　the　reason　I　take　to　be

the　people's　running　so　rashly　into　danger；　giving　up　all　their　former

cautions　and　care；　and　all　the　shyness　which　they　used　to　practise；

depending　that　the　sickness　would　not　reach　them　…　or　that　if　it　did；

they　should　not　die。



The　physicians　opposed　this　thoughtless　humour　of　the　people　with

all　their　might；　and　gave　out　printed　directions；　spreading　them　all

over　the　city　and　suburbs；　advising　the　people　to　continue　reserved；

and　to　use　still　the　utmost　caution　in　their　ordinary　conduct；

notwithstanding　the　decrease　of　the　distemper；　terrifying　them　with

the　danger　of　bringing　a　relapse　upon　the　whole　city；　and　telling　them

how　such　a　relapse　might　be　more　fatal　and　dangerous　than　the　whole

visitation　that　had　been　already；　with　many　arguments　and　reasons　to

explain　and　prove　that　part　to　them；　and　which　are　too　long　to　repeat　here。



But　it　was　all　to　no　purpose；　the　audacious　creatures　were　so

possessed　with　the　first　joy　and　so　surprised　with　the　satisfaction　of

seeing　a　vast　decrease　in　the　weekly　bills；　that　they　were　impenetrable

by　any　new　terrors；　and　would　not　be　persuaded　but　that　the　bitterness

of　death　was　past；　and　it　was　to　no　more　purpose　to　talk　to　them　than

to　an　east　wind；　but　they　opened　shops；　went　about　streets；　did

business；　and　conversed　with　anybody　that　came　in　their　way　to

converse　with；　whether　with　business　or　without；　neither　inquiring　of

their　health　or　so　much　as　being　apprehensive　of　any　dang