Whatvarietyofstratagemswereusedtoescapeandgetoutofhousesthusshutup,bywhichthewatchmenweredeceivedoroverpowered,andthatthepeoplegotaway,Ihavetakennoticeofalready,andshallsaynomoretothat。ButIsaythemagistratesdidmoderateandeasefamiliesuponmanyoccasionsinthiscase,andparticularlyinthatoftakingaway,orsufferingtoberemoved,thesickpersonsoutofsuchhouseswhentheywerewillingtoberemovedeithertoapest—houseorotherPlaces;andsometimesgivingthewellpersonsinthefamilysoshutup,leavetoremoveuponinformationgiventhattheywerewell,andthattheywouldconfinethemselvesinsuchhouseswheretheywentsolongasshouldberequiredofthem。
Theconcern,also,ofthemagistratesforthesupplyingsuchpoorfamiliesaswereinfected—Isay,supplyingthemwithnecessaries,aswellphysicasfood—wasverygreat,andinwhichtheydidnotcontentthemselveswithgivingthenecessaryorderstotheofficersappointed,butthealdermeninperson,andonhorseback,frequentlyrodetosuchhousesandcausedthepeopletobeaskedattheirwindowswhethertheyweredulyattendedornot;also,whethertheywantedanythingthatwasnecessary,andiftheofficershadconstantlycarriedtheirmessagesandfetchedthemsuchthingsastheywantedornot。Andiftheyansweredintheaffirmative,allwaswell;butiftheycomplainedthattheywereillsupplied,andthattheofficerdidnotdohisduty,ordidnottreatthemcivilly,they（theofficers）weregenerallyremoved,andothersplacedintheirstead。
Itistruesuchcomplaintmightbeunjust,andiftheofficerhadsuchargumentstouseaswouldconvincethemagistratethathewasright,andthatthepeoplehadinjuredhim,hewascontinuedandtheyreproved。Butthispartcouldnotwellbearaparticularinquiry,forthepartiescouldveryillbewellheardandansweredinthestreetfromthewindows,aswasthecasethen。Themagistrates,therefore,generallychosetofavourthepeopleandremovetheman,aswhatseemedtobetheleastwrongandoftheleastillconsequence;seeingifthewatchmanwasinjured,yettheycouldeasilymakehimamendsbygivinghimanotherpostofthelikenature;butifthefamilywasinjured,therewasnosatisfactioncouldbemadetothem,thedamageperhapsbeingirreparable,asitconcernedtheirlives。
Agreatvarietyofthesecasesfrequentlyhappenedbetweenthewatchmenandthepoorpeopleshutup,besidesthoseIformerlymentionedaboutescaping。Sometimesthewatchmenwereabsent,sometimesdrunk,sometimesasleepwhenthepeoplewantedthem,andsuchneverfailedtobepunishedseverely,asindeedtheydeserved。
Butafterallthatwasorcouldbedoneinthesecases,theshuttingupofhouses,soastoconfinethosethatwerewellwiththosethatweresick,hadverygreatinconveniencesinit,andsomethatwereverytragical,andwhichmeritedtohavebeenconsiderediftherehadbeenroomforit。Butitwasauthorisedbyalaw,ithadthepublicgoodinviewastheendchieflyaimedat,andalltheprivateinjuriesthatweredonebytheputtingitinexecutionmustbeputtotheaccountofthepublicbenefit。