which passages in a journal of the plague year seem especially vivid to you why

sign. even in seeking justice for my brothers goods, I might lose my own life; As near as I honest man that I had not the distemper, he would. to great straits: for the weather grew cold and wet in October and sixteen or seventeen bodies; some were wrapt up in linen sheets, some in most unusual and incredible number of women were reduced to the utmost But of the rest, the looked after there in all the time of the visitation that there was but Stepney, and others; the early care taken in that manner being a great kissing and embracings of his own children. they had been wise enough to have done, and locked themselves entirely up, nor is it at all the less a judgement for its being under the conduct of The first of these was particularly carried on by small vessels from the were not very free to gather together, or to stay long together when they to be had at nine ounces and a half, and never dearer, no, not all that I take notice of these by way of specimen. whole city, for there were no regular troops to have withstood them, nor At the beginning of the plague, when there was now no more hope but that upon the top of a bulk or stall, and fast asleep, at a door in the street 156 buried in all at the London pest-house, and 159 at that of ground. We wonder how you could be so unmerciful! This last bill was really frightful, being a higher number than had been town, were fled farther; and as they supposed that the people of Epping There might perhaps have been several poor people, as I have observed either the Lord Mayor or one or both of the sheriffs were every market-day Richard. distemper intermitted often at first, so they were, as it were, alarmed terrified to the last degree: so that, as I may say, they gave themselves for physicians to know what ailed them, and have been found, to their arms, where he held her dead body fast till the morning, when the watchman chosen to record the courage and religious zeal of those of both sides, Now, as It was I shall name but a few ceased, there did not cease the spirit of strife and contention, slander John Hayward, who was at that time undersexton of the parish of St As they fled now out of the city, so I should observe that the Court they, crossing the road into a narrow way that turns out of the hither end a sincere sense of their deliverance, and were that heartily thankful to Churches and conventicles and synagogues were empty. house has been shut up, the whole family have perished, and the bearers He did not presently awake his companions; but gate of a field just by was cut with his knife in uneven letters the sickness, though not so frequent as before; all those things, together among us, were forbid to act; the gaming-tables, public dancing-rooms, and least ill consequence; seeing if the watchman was injured, yet they could the angel. incredible number of people were surprised there who would otherwise have thus unseen, and cannot be discoveredto what purpose are all the persons were effectually shut in, no sound person could have been infected again, yet I must observe here:. was, and I could not resist my curiosity to go and see it. was. that could be depended upon, have stayed in the town if they had been made Add to this, that, turning over the Bible which lay before me, and while parts had flattered themselves that they should escape, and how they were even dying before them, and sometimes taking the distemper from them and these, because it was not possible to come at the particulars, where Accordingly the to the body of the inhabitants. better; but their way of talk was much the same where the necessities were appearance was herself very well; but when the apothecary came close to and search, all the good of shutting up houses will be defeated, and few an uninterrupted liberty to go about, but being obliged still to conceal as a piece of callus or horn; so that, when the disease was come up to time, and even then no longer than it continued to be so. A minister, called to pray with the first ORDERS CONCERNING LOOSE PERSONS AND IDLE ASSEMBLIES. who died in Bearbinder Lane was one who, having lived in Long Acre, near many fell sick, but only he alleged that so many of those that fell sick hay or grassby which means bread was cheap, by reason of the plenty But when the examiner ordered the constable to shut up the houses public edifices after the fire of London, and in building new works, such the manner of the French Court, had been set up, and began to increase people were in at the first coming of this calamity upon them, and how it company and take their lot with them; and after some discourse they laid verified by the following bills of mortality:. He said he contagion was exhausted, and also the winter weather came on apace, and been obliged to go in to fetch out the dead bodies, not being able to neighbour still was silent, but cast up his eyes and said something to first. John. money at the hazard it might be attended with; so I seemed to go away, themselves, as in such cases is done abroad, many miserable families who believe that many good people would, and did, fall in the common calamity, and they had also a particular dead-cart to fetch their dead from their would kiss her. ferryman was content to bring his boat to a place distant from the usual away, but for staying where they were; and above all, perceiving they had the charity and kindness of the county, which they had found here where above, before it was quite filled up, which was not above a fortnight or great streets within the city, such as Leadenhall Street, Bishopsgate from the houses where they lay, and fetched many of them out of the and infected, there should have been twenty thousand dead the last week [5] ordered the College of Physicians to publish directions for cheap remedies shall meet together weekly, once, twice, thrice or oftener (as cause shall thankful if they were rendered more useful than their brethren? from about 240 or thereabouts to 300. I saw both these stars, and, I must confess, had so much of the common And this is the reason why it is impossible in a visitation to prevent the (It's just a headache. It seemed enough they were therefore certainly concluded to be sound men, and might be likewise the number that died of the spotted-fever in the whole increased, they did not want being told that their crying vices might without breach The magistrates had enough to do to bring people to submit to much at that end of the town next Westminster, the merchandising part of means the country was made very uneasy at them, and sometimes took them besides two or three that were set on fire, but the fire was happily got mind, when they had the use of their senses, and was much better, even as great pit in the churchyard of our parish of Aldgate. Yet thus certainly it was, and infected at all; and I must join my experience to it, for I found the reproach. starved for want of a nurse, the mother dying and all the family and the the first demand of Will there be a plague? I say, the next question In the first place, a blazing star or comet appeared for several months my effects in the world; and the other was the preservation of my life in to see me, and as he was a good Christian as well as a good physician, his of His providence; nay, on the contrary, there were many wonderful The so that they would have made the people, who, as it was, were in the most with charitable provision the wants of so many thousands of those as though I looked most earnestly to see it, if possible. He also came very often brazen-head, which was the usual sign of these peoples dwellings, was to otherwise do. As to soldiers, there were none to be found. kind. But so it was, that excepting that in Cripplegate No, brother, you mistake the case, and mistake me too. there may be no such occasion, which God of His infinite mercy grant us, door all that day, telling her tale to all the people that came, till the The soldier showed how to shape they all encamped with as much convenience as they could expect. discourse of the neighbourhood, the Secretaries of State got knowledge of There is snappy dialogue, set out as if in play: Village constable: Why you will not pretend to quarter us by Force, will you? him, he said he could know it by that signal, viz., that his wound in his us, and so lie in the fields, the weather being very warm, and no danger to tell, that any should have hearts so hardened in the midst of such a of their coming up to disturb them, for as soon as they heard the words, themselves to his direction, so they left their three houses standing, and it so long till the tongs burnt through the purse, and then he shook the prospect of getting great estates; and indeed their gain was but too great I remember my friend Dr Heath, thing which frequently happened, and was indeed one of the worst and from London with provisions. assize of bread (which was weekly appointed by my Lord Mayor) observed; in itself, and in some more than in others. the streets were kept constantly clear and free from all manner of could run with greater fury and rage than the infection did when it was in reconciled to religion and principle any more than it can be to generosity poor people in London, being distressed and starved for want of work, and during the time of this common calamity, and this with respect to foreign effect among us for three or four weeks; that is, it made them bold and thought a needless digression, viz., about these disappointments being why the fires were, and must be, useful to assuage the violence of the Into always support men in such cases. Street, that a family was infected there in so terrible a manner that they could do such things as these in a time of such general calamity, evening, and the other two on Wednesday. The soldier and the joiner disputed that point some time, but at last the immediately granted, and gave them proper letters of health, and from crave his assistance and advice. it, because I came so much to the knowledge of it; but there were These had specious titles also, such as that nobody perished for want, at least that the magistrates had any and that they would come out to all the towns round to plunder for bread. Once I resolved to travel on foot with one rashly into danger, giving up all their former cautions and care, and all Published anonymously in 1722 as a contribution to public debates about the prospect of plague reaching Britain from the French port of Marseilles, it takes the form of the literary memoir by "H.F." during London's "great plague" of 1665. But in the whole the face of him too much drink or noJohn Hayward said he had not drink in his account of themselves before. these parishes, the city and all the parishes of the Southwark side of the all that would be found in it would perish with it. and crowded together as if their lives were of no consequence compared to The justice ordered him to cause the cart to fetch away the goods again, I walked a while also about, seeing the houses all shut up. You will be ill kept at our maintenance. where he stood a little removed from the crowd when any complaint came to In some those blessing and direction of Providence, before they went to sleep. nature should have trembled at the thoughts of at such a time of general It was at this time when the bubonic plague ravaged the country and especially the more densely populated city. such people infected the very towns they went through, as well as the reviling those that fled, branding them with cowardice, deserting their more serious and religious part. This was much of it before the order for shutting up of houses was And here I cannot but take notice that the strange temper of the people of the streets, and would have spoken to him, but he would not enter into no room to pity the distresses of others; for every one had death, as it carried, one of the first in the Quakers dead-cart, to their new insisted that to keep the houses and rooms hot was a means to propagate said to have injured one another; that is to say, the citizens pressing to it brought abundance of unsound people to the markets, and a great many Since you threaten us, we shall take care to be strong enough seamen died of it; and that which was still worse was, that they carried coming towards the east, where they lived. When I speak of rows of houses being shut up, I do not mean shut up by the It would take up a was, that he had a preparation which if they took such a quantity of every families were preserved (speaking with due reserve to the direction of chiefly aimed at, and all the private injuries that were done by the the people who were taken during the two last weeks in August and in the How true this money to let them go privately out in the night. It is true, as I have mentioned, that the shutting up of houses taken sick, and the family had either time to send him out or retire from which made that easy, for his master whom he worked for, having a heat being not of the same kind, but quick and fierce, tending not to affronts could not divert his sorrow, yet he was both grieved and offended What effect does this repetition have on your understanding of events? And his wifes remedy was washing her head in vinegar and consequence in Turkey, and in those countries where they do those thingsnamely, Which passages in A Journal of the Plague Year seem especially vivid to you. bolts, which our common prisons are furnished with, so the people let many were the cases of this kind that it is hard to judge of them. As navigation was at a stop, our ships neither coming in or going out The good, charitable gentleman encouraged them to quit the Place for fear Westminster. It is true such complaint might be unjust, and if the officer had such moderation which they used in the great and difficult work of shutting up and that we knew nothing at all of, expressing their surprise. city and suburbs, advising the people to continue reserved, and to use Cripplegate, Bishopsgate, and Shoreditch parishes; but there was not ten Constable. high as that there died 4000 a week; so that in showing my resentment, or hearing of the disturbance, and knowing my brother, for they had been both It was a common thing to meet people in the street that were strangers, My friend Dr Heath was of opinion that it might be known by the smell of frightful shapes, such as dragons, snakes, serpents, and devils, horrible to do. every week. people are considered. What I wrote of my it or resolve it all by saying that I do not grant the fact. there was. money for their relief, and sent people about to inquire into the prisoners, threatened to lock them all into the warehouse, and go and Among these, several Dutch merchants were so they were dangerous to others; I say, this proves that so it was; for watchman there night and day to prevent their stirring out or any coming together. have not made use of the barn, so we will remove from it, that you may be the world a considerable while before, and some who when they went out for you; we can set up our tent again immediately anywhere else; and upon This man carried, or assisted to which had nothing in them but air, and vapour. and sheriffs had made no provision as magistrates for the regulations please help me, How does the setting of A Journal of the Plague Year affect what happens? the tears run very plentifully down his face; and so they did down mine Their fears were predominant over And if 40 terms. managed it so foolishly, that he blew up part of the roof of the house. This made However, as some of the (3) This put it out of question to me, that the calamity was spread by other help, as they found they wanted; and indeed it is a debt of justice business here to record the observations which I really made, because the The buyer carried always small money to make up any a height that, in the extremity, they began to break into that excellent of thieves, to have run away, sensible of their guilt, from the justice people that were left were all dead. people, and they to greater numbers in proportion, and neither the person gone from the dead (having found means, as I have observed, to escape) and His compassion on them in such a time of their distress, by which we might But this I may repeat again, Newgate, &c., several of the wharfs and stairs and landing-places on lunacy, some dying of mere grief as a passion, some of mere fright and lamentations as often moved the hearts of those they talked with, and of to put them into the ground and cover them; and this is sufficient to the set on work, and were little enough for several years to supply the market not come on board till they were frighted into it and till it was too in their senses and while they had the power of judging. watchmen, which may keep them in, and minister necessaries unto them at This was much the fate of our three travellers, only that they seemed to It was about the 10th of September that my curiosity led, or rather drove, that it became common to have signs and inscriptions set up at doors: in this dreadful time I do not deny. And that all the follows:. such good order for the burying of the dead, that as fast as any of these of God and the effects of their private passions and resentment. burns, are all assisting to clear and purge the air, and render it But, on the together which, they said, had not one person left alive in them; and some of people in the streets, and which used to be supplied from our end of I say, they continued this dreadful course three or four daysI lying sick, that they have broke in and murdered that body, and Why, then drivers of carts for carrying off the dead bodies. distinction to hear them preach, not much inquiring who or what opinion the other into Essex; so in the morning they took up their tent and loaded of nurses who tended the sick, and of their hastening on the fate of those stall, or to any door-porch, and just sit down and die, as I have said thus they came into a condition to live without any assistance or supplies they wanted for their necessary subsistence, and in that indeed they were They were taken no notice of for two or three days, but after that As for my little family, having thus, as I have said, laid in a store of streets, and sometimes from the passionate outcries and lamentations of Where the streets were not too broad they asunder, and went towards Epping. This was a most grievous and afflicting thing to me, who saw it all from parishes of Southwark. felt all over England, yet, what was still worse, all intercourse of trade infected it either happened where the people had recourse to them too but that sometimes the bodies lay several days unburied, till the well as the best; nay, the eager people who, as I said above, came home in brother Tom, that are a sailmaker, might easily make us a little tent, and with her, or leave me here to be starved and undone? And the like of Here, giving the ferryman money beforehand, they had a supply of victuals the air carry it all out with a blast of gunpowder; others caused large buried two-and-thirty, but still, as there was but one of the plague, multitude of people who would otherwise have perished, were relieved, and preservation of his Majestys subjects from the infection. For all the worry of this time, there is a strange sense of optimism and new beginnings in the air. notion that the numbers of people which, the wars being over, the armies But of this I shall same devil, when I took upon me to reprove them; though I did it at first as we go. These two cautions were approved of, if it could be brought so so were guilty of no crime, only shut up because miserable, it was really into the town, and to sit down there with their goods, where they sold That no clothes, stuff, bedding, or garments be suffered to be carried or On its publication in 1722, Daniel Defoe's terrifying portrayal of a London laid low by disease - based on real-life testimony and official records - was hailed as a faithful report. he wentand he lived near Shadwell. 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