part6-第7章

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their　health　or　so　much　as　being　apprehensive　of　any　danger　from

them；　though　they　knew　them　not　to　be　sound。



This　imprudent；　rash　conduct　cost　a　great　many　their　lives　who　had

with　great　care　and　caution　shut　themselves　up　and　kept　retired；　as　it

were；　from　all　mankind；　and　had　by　that　means；　under　God's

providence；　been　preserved　through　all　the　heat　of　that　infection。



This　rash　and　foolish　conduct；　I　say；　of　the　people　went　so　far　that

the　ministers　took　notice　to　them　of　it　at　last；　and　laid　before　them

both　the　folly　and　danger　of　it；　and　this　checked　it　a　little；　so　that　they

grew　more　cautious。　　But　it　had　another　effect；　which　they　could　not

check；　for　as　the　first　rumour　had　spread　not　over　the　city　only；　but

into　the　country；　it　had　the　like　effect：　and　the　people　were　so　tired

with　being　so　long　from　London；　and　so　eager　to　come　back；　that　they

flocked　to　town　without　fear　or　forecast；　and　began　to　show

themselves　in　the　streets　as　if　all　the　danger　was　over。　　It　was　indeed

surprising　to　see　it；　for　though　there　died　still　from　1000　to　1800　a

week；　yet　the　people　flocked　to　town　as　if　all　had　been　well。



The　consequence　of　this　was；　that　the　bills　increased　again　400　the

very　first　week　in　November；　and　if　I　might　believe　the　physicians；

there　was　above　3000　fell　sick　that　week；　most　of　them　new…comers；　too。



One　John　Cock；　a　barber　in　St　Martin's…le…Grand；　was　an　eminent

example　of　this；　I　mean　of　the　hasty　return　of　the　people　when　the

plague　was　abated。　　This　John　Cock　had　left　the　town　with　his　whole

family；　and　locked　up　his　house；　and　was　gone　in　the　country；　as　many

others　did；　and　finding　the　plague　so　decreased　in　November　that

there　died　but　905　per　week　of　all　diseases；　he　ventured　home　again。

He　had　in　his　family　ten　persons；　that　is　to　say；　himself　and　wife；　five

children；　two　apprentices；　and　a　maid…servant。　　He　had　not　returned　to

his　house　above　a　week；　and　began　to　open　his　shop　and　carry　on　his

trade；　but　the　distemper　broke　out　in　his　family；　and　within　about　five

days　they　all　died；　except　one；　that　is　to　say；　himself；　his　wife；　all　his

five　children；　and　his　two　apprentices；　and　only　the　maid　remained　alive。



But　the　mercy　of　God　was　greater　to　the　rest　than　we　had　reason　to

expect；　for　the　malignity　（as　I　have　said）　of　the　distemper　was　spent；

the　contagion　was　exhausted；　and　also　the　winter　weather　came　on

apace；　and　the　air　was　clear　and　cold；　with　sharp　frosts；　and　this

increasing　still；　most　of　those　that　had　fallen　sick　recovered；　and　the

health　of　the　city　began　to　return。　There　were　indeed　some　returns　of

the　distemper　even　in　the　month　of　December；　and　the　bills　increased

near　a　hundred；　but　it　went　off　again；　and　so　in　a　short　while　things

began　to　return　to　their　own　channel。　　And　wonderful　it　was　to　see

how　populous　the　city　was　again　all　on　a　sudden；　so　that　a　stranger

could　not　miss　the　numbers　that　were　lost。　　Neither　was　there　any　miss

of　the　inhabitants　as　to　their　dwellings　…　few　or　no　empty　houses　were

to　be　seen；　or　if　there　were　some；　there　was　no　want　of

tenants　for　them。



I　wish　I　could　say　that　as　the　city　had　a　new　face；　so　the　manners　of

the　people　had　a　new　appearance。　　I　doubt　not　but　there　were　many

that　retained　a　sincere　sense　of　their　deliverance；　and　were　that

heartily　thankful　to　that　Sovereign　Hand　that　had　protected　them　in　so

dangerous　a　time；　it　would　be　very　uncharitable　to　judge　otherwise　in

a　city　so　populous；　and　where　the　people　were　so　devout　as　they　were

here　in　the　time　of　the　visitation　itself；　but　except　what　of　this　was　to

be　found　in　particular　families　and　faces；　it　must　be　acknowledged

that　the　general　practice　of　the　people　was　just　as　it　was　before；　and

very　little　difference　was　to　be　seen。



Some；　indeed；　said　things　were　worse；　that　the　morals　of　the　people

declined　from　this　very　time；　that　the　people；　hardened　by　the　danger

they　had　been　in；　like　seamen　after　a　storm　is　over；　were　more　wicked

and　more　stupid；　more　bold　and　hardened；　in　their　vices　and　immoralities

than　they　were　before；　but　I　will　not　carry　it　so　far　neither。　　It　would

take　up　a　history　of　no　small　length　to　give　a　particular　of　all　the

gradations　by　which　the　course　of　things　in　this　city　came　to　be

restored　again；　and　to　run　in　their　own　channel　as　they　did　before。



Some　parts　of　England　were　now　infected　as　violently　as　London

had　been；　the　cities　of　Norwich；　Peterborough；　Lincoln；　Colchester；

and　other　places　were　now　visited；　and　the　magistrates　of　London

began　to　set　rules　for　our　conduct　as　to　corresponding　with　those

cities。　　It　is　true　we　could　not　pretend　to　forbid　their　people　coming　to

London；　because　it　was　impossible　to　know　them　asunder；　so；　after

many　consultations；　the　Lord　Mayor　and　Court　of　Aldermen　were

obliged　to　drop　it。　All　they　could　do　was　to　warn　and　caution　the

people　not　to　entertain　in　their　houses　or　converse　with　any　people

who　they　knew　came　from　such　infected　places。



But　they　might　as　well　have　talked　to　the　air；　for　the　people　of

London　thought　themselves　so　plague…free　now　that　they　were　past　all

admonitions；　they　seemed　to　depend　upon　it　that　the　air　was　restored；

and　that　the　air　was　like　a　man　that　had　had　the　smallpox；　not　capable

of　being　infected　again。　　This　revived　that　notion　that　the　infection

was　all　in　the　air；　that　there　was　no　such　thing　as　contagion　from　the

sick　people　to　the　sound；　and　so　strongly　did　this　whimsy　prevail

among　people　that　they　ran　all　together　promiscuously；　sick　and　well。

Not　the　Mahometans；　who；　prepossessed　with　the　principle　of

predestination；　value　nothing　of　contagion；　let　it　be　in　what　it　will；

could　be　more　obstinate　than　the　people　of　London；　they　that　were

perfectly　sound；　and　came　out　of　the　wholesome　air；　as　we　call　it；　into

the　city；　made　nothing　of　going　into　the　same　houses　and　chambers；

nay；　even　into　the　same　beds；　with　those　that　had　the　distemper　upon

them；　and　were　not　recovered。



Some；　indeed；　paid　for　their　audacious　boldness　with　the　price　of

their　lives；　an　infinite　number　fell　sick；　and　the　physicians　had　more

work　than　ever；　only　with　this　difference；　that　more　of　their　patients

recovered；　that　is　to　say；　they　generally　recovered；　but　certainly　there

were　more　people　infected　and　fell　sick　now；　when　there　did　not　die

above　a　thousand　or　twelve　hundred　in　a　week；　than　there　was　when

there　died　five　or　six　thousand　a　week；　so　entirely　negligent　were　the

people　at　that　time　in　the　great　and　dangerous　case　of　health　and

infection；　and　so　ill　were　they　able　to　take　or　accept　of　the　advice　of

those　who　cautioned　them　for　their　good。



The　people　being　thus　returned；　as　it　were；　in　general；　it　was　very

strange　to　find　that　in　their　inquiring　after　their　friends；　some　whole

families　were　so　entirely　swept　away　that　there　was　no　remembrance

of　them　left；　neither　was　anybody　to　be　found　to　possess　or　show　any

title　to　that　little　they　had　left；　for　in　such　cases　what　was　to　be　found

was　generally　embezzled　and　purloined；　some　gone　one　way；　some　another。



It　was　said　such　abandoned　effects　came　to　the　king；　as　the　universal

heir；　upon　which　we　are　told；　and　I　suppose　it　was　in　part　true；　that　the

king　granted　all　such；　as　deodands；　to　the　Lord　Mayor　and　Court　of

Aldermen　of　London；　to　be　applied　to　the　use　of　the　poor；　of　whom

there　were　very　many。　　For　it　is　to　be　observed；　that　though　the

occasions　of　relief　and　the　objects　of　distress　were　very　many　more　in

the　time　of　the　violence　of　the　plague　than　now　after　all　was　over；　yet

the　distress　of　the　poor　was　more　now　a　great　deal　than　it　was　then；

because　all　the　sluices　of　general　charity　were　now　shut。　　People

supposed　the　main　occasion　to　be　over；　and　so　stopped　their　hands；

whereas　particular　objects　were　still　very　moving；　and　the　distress　of

those　that　were　poor　was　very　great　indeed。



Though　the　health　of　the　city　was　now　very　much　restored；　yet

foreign　trade　did　not　begin　to　stir；　neither　would　foreigners　admit　our

ships　into　their　ports　for　a　great　while。　　As　for　the　Dutch；　the

misunderstandings　between　our　court　and　them　had　broken　out　into　a

war　the　year　before；　so　that　our　trade　that　way　was　wholly　interrupted；

but　Spain　and　Portugal；　Italy　and　Barbary；　as　also　Hamburg　and　all　the

ports　in　the　Baltic；　these　were　all　shy　of　us　a　great　while；　and　would

not　restore　trade　with　us　for　many　months。



The　distemper　sweeping　away　such　multitudes；　as　I　have　observed；

many　if　not　all　the　out…parishes　were　obliged　to　make　new　burying…

grounds；　besides　that　I　have　mentioned　in　Bunhill　Fields；　some　of

which　were　continued；　and　remain　in　use　to　this　day。　　But　others　were

left　off；　and　（which　I　confess　I　mention　with　some　reflection）　being

converted　into　other　uses　or　built　upon　afterwards；　the　dead　bodies

were　disturbed；　abused；　dug　up　again；　some　even　before　the　flesh　of

them　was　perished　from　the　bones；　and　removed　like　dung　or　rubbish

to　other　places。　　Some　of　those　which　came　within　the　reach　of　my

observation　are　as　follow：



（1）　A　piece　of　ground　beyond　Goswell　Street；　near　Mount　Mill；

being　some　of　the　remains　of　the　old　lines　or　fortifications　of　the　city；

where　abundance　were　buried　promiscuously　from　the　parishes　of　Aldersgate；

Clerkenwell；　and　even　out　of　the　city。　　This　ground；　as　I　take　it；　was

since　made　a　physic　garden；　and　after　that　has　been　built　upon。



（2）　A　piece　of　ground　just　over　the　Black　Ditch；　as　it　was　then

called；　at　the　end　of　Holloway　Lane；　in　Shoreditch　parish。　It　has　been

since　made　a　yard　for　keeping　hogs；　and　for　other　ordinary　uses；　but　is

quite　out　of　use　as　a　burying…ground。



（3）　The　upper　end　of　Hand　Alley；　in　Bishopsgate　Street；　which　was

then　a　green　field；　and　was　taken　in　particularly　for　Bishopsgate

parish；　though　many　of　the　carts　out　of　the　city　brought　their　dead

thither　also；　particularly　out　of　the　parish　of　St　All…hallows　on　the

Wall。　This　place　I　cannot　mention　without　much　regret。　It　was；　as　I

remember；　about　two　or　three　years　after　the　plague　was　ceased　that

Sir　Robert　Clayton　came　to　be　possessed　of　the　ground。　It　was

reported；　how　true　I　know　not；　that　it　fell　to　the　king　for　want　of　heirs；

all　those　who　had　any　right　to　it　being　carried　off　by　the　pestilence；

and　that　Sir　Robert　Clayton　obtained　a　grant　of　it　from　King　Charles

II。　But　however　he　came　by　it；　certain　it　is　the　ground　was　let　out　to

build　on；　or　built　upon；　by　his　order。　The　first　house　built　upon　it　was

a　large　fair　house；　still　standing；　which　faces　the　street　or　way　now

called　Hand　Alley　which；　though　called　an　alley；　is　as　wide　as　a　street。

The　houses　in　the　same　row　with　that　house　northward　are　built　on　the

very　same　ground　where　the　poor　people　were　buried；　and　the　bodies；

on　opening　the　ground　for　the　foundations；　were　dug　up；　some　of　them

remaining　so　plain　to　be　seen　that　the　women's　skulls　were

disting