Now,certainly,ifhouseshadbeenprovidedonpurposeforthosethatweresoundtoperformthisdemi—quarantinein,theywouldhavemuchlessreasontothinkthemselvesinjuredinsucharestraintthaninbeingconfinedwithinfectedpeopleinthehouseswheretheylived。
Itishere,however,tobeobservedthatafterthefuneralsbecamesomanythatpeoplecouldnottollthebell,mournorweep,orwearblackforoneanother,astheydidbefore;no,norsomuchasmakecoffinsforthosethatdied;soafterawhilethefuryoftheinfectionappearedtobesoincreasedthat,inshort,theyshutupnohousesatall。Itseemedenoughthatalltheremediesofthatkindhadbeenusedtilltheywerefoundfruitless,andthattheplaguespreaditselfwithanirresistiblefury;sothatasthefirethesucceedingyearspreaditself,andburnedwithsuchviolencethatthecitizens,indespair,gaveovertheirendeavourstoextinguishit,sointheplagueitcameatlasttosuchviolencethatthepeoplesatstilllookingatoneanother,andseemedquiteabandonedtodespair;wholestreetsseemedtobedesolated,andnottobeshutuponly,buttobeemptiedoftheirinhabitants;doorswereleftopen,windowsstoodshatteringwiththewindinemptyhousesforwantofpeopletoshutthem。Inaword,peoplebegantogiveupthemselvestotheirfearsandtothinkthatallregulationsandmethodswereinvain,andthattherewasnothingtobehopedforbutanuniversaldesolation;anditwasevenintheheightofthisgeneraldespairthatitPleasedGodtostayHishand,andtoslackenthefuryofthecontagioninsuchamanneraswasevensurprising,likeitsbeginning,anddemonstratedittobeHisownparticularhand,andthatabove,ifnotwithouttheagencyofmeans,asIshalltakenoticeofinitsproperplace。
ButImuststillspeakoftheplagueasinitsheight,ragingeventodesolation,andthepeopleunderthemostdreadfulconsternation,even,asIhavesaid,todespair。Itishardlycredibletowhatexcessthepassionsofmencarriedtheminthisextremityofthedistemper,andthispart,Ithink,wasasmovingastherest。Whatcouldaffectamaninhisfullpowerofreflection,andwhatcouldmakedeeperimpressionsonthesoul,thantoseeamanalmostnaked,andgotoutofhishouse,orperhapsoutofhisbed,intothestreet,comeoutofHarrowAlley,apopulousconjunctionorcollectionofalleys,courts,andpassagesintheButcherRowinWhitechappel,—Isay,whatcouldbemoreaffectingthantoseethispoormancomeoutintotheopenstreet,rundancingandsingingandmakingathousandanticgestures,withfiveorsixwomenandchildrenrunningafterhim,cryingandcallinguponhimfortheLord\'ssaketocomeback,andentreatingthehelpofotherstobringhimback,butallinvain,nobodydaringtolayahanduponhimortocomenearhim？
Thiswasamostgrievousandafflictingthingtome,whosawitallfrommyownwindows;forallthiswhilethepoorafflictedmanwas,asIobservedit,eventhenintheutmostagonyofpain,having（astheysaid）twoswellingsuponhimwhichcouldnotbebroughttobreakortosuppurate;but,bylayingstrongcausticsonthem,thesurgeonshad,itseems,hopestobreakthem—whichcausticswerethenuponhim,burninghisfleshaswithahotiron。Icannotsaywhatbecameofthispoorman,butIthinkhecontinuedrovingaboutinthatmannertillhefelldownanddied。
Nowondertheaspectofthecityitselfwasfrightful。Theusualconcourseofpeopleinthestreets,andwhichusedtobesuppliedfromourendofthetown,wasabated。TheExchangewasnotkeptshut,indeed,butitwasnomorefrequented。Thefireswerelost;theyhadbeenalmostextinguishedforsomedaysbyaverysmartandhastyrain。Butthatwasnotall;someofthephysiciansinsistedthattheywerenotonlynobenefit,butinjurioustothehealthofpeople。Thistheymadealoudclamourabout,andcomplainedtotheLordMayoraboutit。Ontheotherhand,othersofthesamefaculty,andeminenttoo,opposedthem,andgavetheirreasonswhythefireswere,andmustbe,usefultoassuagetheviolenceofthedistemper。Icannotgiveafullaccountoftheirargumentsonbothsides;onlythisI