Itistruetheplaguewasstillatafrightfulheight,andthenextbillwasnolessthan6460,andthenexttothat,5720;butstillmyfriend\'sobservationwasjust,anditdidappearthepeopledidrecoverfasterandmoreinnumberthantheyusedtodo;andindeed,ifithadnotbeenso,whathadbeentheconditionofthecityofLondon？For,accordingtomyfriend,therewerenotfewerthan60,000peopleatthattimeinfected,whereof,asabove,20,477died,andnear40,000
recovered;whereas,haditbeenasitwasbefore,50,000ofthatnumberwouldveryprobablyhavedied,ifnotmore,and50,000morewouldhavesickened;for,inaword,thewholemassofpeoplebegantosicken,anditlookedasifnonewouldescape。
Butthisremarkofmyfriend\'sappearedmoreevidentinafewweeksmore,forthedecreasewenton,andanotherweekinOctoberitdecreased1843,sothatthenumberdeadoftheplaguewasbut2665;
andthenextweekitdecreased1413more,andyetitwasseenplainlythattherewasabundanceofpeoplesick,nay,abundancemorethanordinary,andabundancefellsickeverydaybut（asabove）themalignityofthediseaseabated。
Suchistheprecipitantdispositionofourpeople（whetheritissoornotallovertheworld,that\'snoneofmyparticularbusinesstoinquire）,butIsawitapparentlyhere,thatasuponthefirstfrightoftheinfectiontheyshunnedoneanother,andfledfromoneanother\'shousesandfromthecitywithanunaccountableand,asIthought,unnecessaryfright,sonow,uponthisnotionspreading,viz。,thatthedistemperwasnotsocatchingasformerly,andthatifitwascatcheditwasnotsomortal,andseeingabundanceofpeoplewhoreallyfellsickrecoveragaindaily,theytooktosuchaprecipitantcourage,andgrewsoentirelyregardlessofthemselvesandoftheinfection,thattheymadenomoreoftheplaguethanofanordinaryfever,norindeedsomuch。Theynotonlywentboldlyintocompanywiththosewhohadtumoursandcarbunclesuponthemthatwererunning,andconsequentlycontagious,butateanddrankwiththem,nay,intotheirhousestovisitthem,andeven,asIwastold,intotheirverychamberswheretheylaysick。