sothedoorwasmarkedwitharedcross,apadlockontheoutside,asabove,andawatchmansettokeepthedoor,accordingtopublicorder。
Afterthemasterofthehousefoundtherewasnoremedy,butthathe,hiswife,andhischildrenweretobelockedupwiththispoordistemperedservant,hecalledtothewatchman,andtoldhimhemustgothenandfetchanurseforthemtoattendthispoorgirl,forthatitwouldbecertaindeathtothemalltoobligethemtonurseher;andtoldhimplainlythatifhewouldnotdothis,themaidmustperisheitherofthedistemperorbestarvedforwantoffood,forhewasresolvednoneofhisfamilyshouldgonearher;andshelayinthegarretfourstoreyhigh,whereshecouldnotcryout,orcalltoanybodyforhelp。
Thewatchmanconsentedtothat,andwentandfetchedanurse,ashewasappointed,andbroughthertothemthesameevening。Duringthisintervalthemasterofthehousetookhisopportunitytobreakalargeholethroughhisshopintoabulkorstall,whereformerlyacobblerhadsat,beforeorunderhisshop—window;butthetenant,asmaybesupposedatsuchadismaltimeasthat,wasdeadorremoved,andsohehadthekeyinhisownkeeping。Havingmadehiswayintothisstall,whichhecouldnothavedoneifthemanhadbeenatthedoor,thenoisehewasobligedtomakebeingsuchaswouldhavealarmedthewatchman;Isay,havingmadehiswayintothisstall,hesatstilltillthewatchmanreturnedwiththenurse,andallthenextdayalso。Butthenightfollowing,havingcontrivedtosendthewatchmanofanothertriflingerrand,which,asItakeit,wastoanapothecary\'sforaplaisterforthemaid,whichhewastostayforthemakingup,orsomeothersucherrandthatmightsecurehisstayingsometime;inthattimeheconveyedhimselfandallhisfamilyoutofthehouse,andleftthenurseandthewatchmantoburythepoorwench—thatis,throwherintothecart—andtakecareofthehouse。
Icouldgiveagreatmanysuchstoriesasthese,divertingenough,whichinthelongcourseofthatdismalyearImetwith—thatis,heardof—andwhichareverycertaintobetrue,orverynearthetruth;thatistosay,trueinthegeneral:fornomancouldatsuchatimelearnalltheparticulars。Therewaslikewiseviolenceusedwiththewatchmen,aswasreported,inabundanceofplaces;andIbelievethatfromthebeginningofthevisitationtotheend,therewasnotlessthaneighteenortwentyofthemkilled,orsowoundedastobetakenupfordead,whichwassupposedtobedonebythepeopleintheinfectedhouseswhichwereshutup,andwheretheyattemptedtocomeoutandwereopposed。
Nor,indeed,couldlessbeexpected,forhereweresomanyprisonsinthetownastherewerehousesshutup;andasthepeopleshutuporimprisonedsowereguiltyofnocrime,onlyshutupbecausemiserable,itwasreallythemoreintolerabletothem。