andwedidthisforsometime;butasIhadnotlaidinastoreofprovisionforsucharetreat,itwasimpossiblethatwecouldkeepwithindoorsentirely。However,Iattempted,thoughitwassoverylate,todosomethingtowardsit;andfirst,asIhadconveniencebothforbrewingandbaking,Iwentandboughttwosacksofmeal,andforseveralweeks,havinganoven,webakedallourownbread;alsoI
boughtmalt,andbrewedasmuchbeerasallthecasksIhadwouldhold,andwhichseemedenoughtoservemyhouseforfiveorsixweeks;alsoIlaidinaquantityofsaltbutterandCheshirecheese;butIhadnoflesh—meat,andtheplagueragedsoviolentlyamongthebutchersandslaughter—housesontheothersideofourstreet,wheretheyareknowntodwellingreatnumbers,thatitwasnotadvisablesomuchastogooverthestreetamongthem。
AndhereImustobserveagain,thatthisnecessityofgoingoutofourhousestobuyprovisionswasinagreatmeasuretheruinofthewholecity,forthepeoplecatchedthedistemperontheseoccasionsoneofanother,andeventheprovisionsthemselveswereoftentainted;
atleastIhavegreatreasontobelieveso;andthereforeIcannotsaywithsatisfactionwhatIknowisrepeatedwithgreatassurance,thatthemarket—peopleandsuchasbroughtprovisionstotownwereneverinfected。IamcertainthebutchersofWhitechappel,wherethegreatestpartoftheflesh—meatwaskilled,weredreadfullyvisited,andthatatleasttosuchadegreethatfewoftheirshopswerekeptopen,andthosethatremainedofthemkilledtheirmeatatMileEndandthatway,andbroughtittomarketuponhorses。
However,thepoorpeoplecouldnotlayupprovisions,andtherewasanecessitythattheymustgotomarkettobuy,andotherstosendservantsortheirchildren;andasthiswasanecessitywhichreneweditselfdaily,itbroughtabundanceofunsoundpeopletothemarkets,andagreatmanythatwentthithersoundbroughtdeathhomewiththem。