Iconfessthisisaverygreatsum;butifitbetruethattherewasdistributedintheparishofCripplegateonly,17,800inoneweektothereliefofthepoor,asIheardreported,andwhichIreallybelievewastrue,theothermaynotbeimprobable。
Itwasdoubtlesstobereckonedamongthemanysignalgoodprovidenceswhichattendedthisgreatcity,andofwhichthereweremanyotherworthrecording,—Isay,thiswasaveryremarkableone,thatitpleasedGodthustomovetheheartsofthepeopleinallpartsofthekingdomsocheerfullytocontributetothereliefandsupportofthepooratLondon,thegoodconsequencesofwhichwerefeltmanyways,andparticularlyinpreservingthelivesandrecoveringthehealthofsomanythousands,andkeepingsomanythousandsoffamiliesfromperishingandstarving。
AndnowIamtalkingofthemercifuldispositionofProvidenceinthistimeofcalamity,Icannotbutmentionagain,thoughIhavespokenseveraltimesofitalreadyonotheraccounts,Imeanthatoftheprogressionofthedistemper;howitbeganatoneendofthetown,andproceededgraduallyandslowlyfromoneparttoanother,andlikeadarkcloudthatpassesoverourheads,which,asitthickensandovercaststheairatoneend,dearsupattheotherend;so,whiletheplaguewentonragingfromwesttoeast,asitwentforwardseast,itabatedinthewest,bywhichmeansthosepartsofthetownwhichwerenotseized,orwhowereleft,andwhereithadspentitsfury,were（asitwere）sparedtohelpandassisttheother;whereas,hadthedistemperspreaditselfoverthewholecityandsuburbs,atonce,raginginallplacesalike,asithasdonesinceinsomeplacesabroad,thewholebodyofthepeoplemusthavebeenoverwhelmed,andtherewouldhavediedtwentythousandaday,astheysaytheredidatNaples;,norwouldthepeoplehavebeenabletohavehelpedorassistedoneanother。
Foritmustbeobservedthatwheretheplaguewasinitsfullforce,thereindeedthepeoplewereverymiserable,andtheconsternationwasinexpressible。Butalittlebeforeitreachedeventothatplace,orpresentlyafteritwasgone,theywerequiteanothersortofpeople;andIcannotbutacknowledgethattherewastoomuchofthatcommontemperofmankindtobefoundamongusallatthattime,namely,toforgetthedeliverancewhenthedangerispast。ButIshallcometospeakofthatpartagain。
Itmustnotbeforgotheretotakesomenoticeofthestateoftradeduringthetimeofthiscommoncalamity,andthiswithrespecttoforeigntrade,asalsotoourhometrade。