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protection　of　Providence　in　discharge　of　the　great　duty　of　charity；　that

they　went　about　in　person　distributing　alms　to　the　poor；　and　even

visiting　poor　families；　though　sick　and　infected；　in　their　very　houses；

appointing　nurses　to　attend　those　that　wanted　attending；　and　ordering

apothecaries　and　surgeons；　the　first　to　supply　them　with　drugs　or

plasters；　and　such　things　as　they　wanted；　and　the　last　to　lance　and

dress　the　swellings　and　tumours；　where　such　were　wanting；　giving

their　blessing　to　the　poor　in　substantial　relief　to　them；　as　well　as

hearty　prayers　for　them。



I　will　not　undertake　to　say；　as　some　do；　that　none　of　those　charitable

people　were　suffered　to　fall　under　the　calamity　itself；　but　this　I　may

say；　that　I　never　knew　any　one　of　them　that　miscarried；　which　I

mention　for　the　encouragement　of　others　in　case　of　the　like　distress；

and　doubtless；　if　they　that　give　to　the　poor　lend　to　the　Lord；　and　He

will　repay　them；　those　that　hazard　their　lives　to　give　to　the　poor；　and

to　comfort　and　assist　the　poor　in　such　a　misery　as　this；　may　hope　to　be

protected　in　the　work。



Nor　was　this　charity　so　extraordinary　eminent　only　in　a　few；　but　（for

I　cannot　lightly　quit　this　point）　the　charity　of　the　rich；　as　well　in　the

city　and　suburbs　as　from　the　country；　was　so　great　that；　in　a　word；　a

prodigious　number　of　people　who　must　otherwise　inevitably　have

perished　for　want　as　well　as　sickness　were　supported　and　subsisted　by

it；　and　though　I　could　never；　nor　I　believe　any　one　else；　come　to　a　full

knowledge　of　what　was　so　contributed；　yet　I　do　believe　that；　as　I　heard

one　say　that　was　a　critical　observer　of　that　part；　there　was　not　only

many　thousand　pounds　contributed；　but　many　hundred　thousand

pounds；　to　the　relief　of　the　poor　of　this　distressed；　afflicted　city；　nay；

one　man　affirmed　to　me　that　he　could　reckon　up　above　one　hundred

thousand　pounds　a　week；　which　was　distributed　by　the　churchwardens

at　the　several　parish　vestries　by　the　Lord　Mayor　and　aldermen　in　the

several　wards　and　precincts；　and　by　the　particular　direction　of　the

court　and　of　the　justices　respectively　in　the　parts　where　they　resided；

over　and　above　the　private　charity　distributed　by　pious　bands　in　the

manner　I　speak　of；　and　this　continued　for　many　weeks　together。



I　confess　this　is　a　very　great　sum；　but　if　it　be　true　that　there　was

distributed　in　the　parish　of　Cripplegate　only；　17；800　in　one　week　to

the　relief　of　the　poor；　as　I　heard　reported；　and　which　I　really　believe

was　true；　the　other　may　not　be　improbable。



It　was　doubtless　to　be　reckoned　among　the　many　signal　good

providences　which　attended　this　great　city；　and　of　which　there　were

many　other　worth　recording；　…　I　say；　this　was　a　very　remarkable　one；

that　it　pleased　God　thus　to　move　the　hearts　of　the　people　in　all　parts　of

the　kingdom　so　cheerfully　to　contribute　to　the　relief　and　support　of　the

poor　at　London；　the　good　consequences　of　which　were　felt　many

ways；　and　particularly　in　preserving　the　lives　and　recovering　the

health　of　so　many　thousands；　and　keeping　so　many　thousands　of

families　from　perishing　and　starving。



And　now　I　am　talking　of　the　merciful　disposition　of　Providence　in

this　time　of　calamity；　I　cannot　but　mention　again；　though　I　have

spoken　several　times　of　it　already　on　other　accounts；　I　mean　that　of

the　progression　of　the　distemper；　how　it　began　at　one　end　of　the　town；

and　proceeded　gradually　and　slowly　from　one　part　to　another；　and　like

a　dark　cloud　that　passes　over　our　heads；　which；　as　it　thickens　and

overcasts　the　air　at　one　end；　dears　up　at　the　other　end；　so；　while　the

plague　went　on　raging　from　west　to　east；　as　it　went　forwards　east；　it

abated　in　the　west；　by　which　means　those　parts　of　the　town　which

were　not　seized；　or　who　were　left；　and　where　it　had　spent　its　fury；

were　（as　it　were）　spared　to　help　and　assist　the　other；　whereas；　had　the

distemper　spread　itself　over　the　whole　city　and　suburbs；　at　once；

raging　in　all　places　alike；　as　it　has　done　since　in　some　places　abroad；

the　whole　body　of　the　people　must　have　been　overwhelmed；　and　there

would　have　died　twenty　thousand　a　day；　as　they　say　there　did　at

Naples；；　nor　would　the　people　have　been　able　to　have　helped　or

assisted　one　another。



For　it　must　be　observed　that　where　the　plague　was　in　its　full　force；

there　indeed　the　people　were　very　miserable；　and　the　consternation

was　inexpressible。　　But　a　little　before　it　reached　even　to　that　place；　or

presently　after　it　was　gone；　they　were　quite　another　sort　of　people；　and

I　cannot　but　acknowledge　that　there　was　too　much　of　that　common

temper　of　mankind　to　be　found　among　us　all　at　that　time；　namely；　to

forget　the　deliverance　when　the　danger　is　past。　　But　I　shall　come　to

speak　of　that　part　again。



It　must　not　be　forgot　here　to　take　some　notice　of　the　state　of　trade

during　the　time　of　this　common　calamity；　and　this　with　respect　to

foreign　trade；　as　also　to　our　home　trade。



As　to　foreign　trade；　there　needs　little　to　be　said。　　The　trading　nations

of　Europe　were　all　afraid　of　us；　no　port　of　France；　or　Holland；　or

Spain；　or　Italy　would　admit　our　ships　or　correspond　with　us；　indeed

we　stood　on　ill　terms　with　the　Dutch；　and　were　in　a　furious　war　with

them；　but　though　in　a　bad　condition　to　fight　abroad；　who　had　such

dreadful　enemies　to　struggle　with　at　home。



Our　merchants　were　accordingly　at　a　full　stop；　their　ships　could　go

nowhere　…　that　is　to　say；　to　no　place　abroad；　their　manufactures　and

merchandise　…　that　is　to　say；　of　our　growth　…　would　not　be　touched

abroad。　　They　were　as　much　afraid　of　our　goods　as　they　were　of　our

people；　and　indeed　they　had　reason：　for　our　woollen　manufactures　are

as　retentive　of　infection　as　human　bodies；　and　if　packed　up　by　persons

infected；　would　receive　the　infection　and　be　as　dangerous　to　touch　as

a　man　would　be　that　was　infected；　and　therefore；　when　any　English

vessel　arrived　in　foreign　countries；　if　they　did　take　the　goods　on　shore；

they　always　caused　the　bales　to　be　opened　and　aired　in　places

appointed　for　that　purpose。　　But　from　London　they　would　not　suffer

them　to　come　into　port；　much　less　to　unlade　their　goods；　upon　any

terms　whatever；　and　this　strictness　was　especially　used　with　them　in

Spain　and　Italy。　　In　Turkey　and　the　islands　of　the　Arches　indeed；　as

they　are　called；　as　well　those　belonging　to　the　Turks　as　to　the

Venetians；　they　were　not　so　very　rigid。　　In　the　first　there　was　no

obstruction　at　all；　and　four　ships　which　were　then　in　the　river　loading

for　Italy　…　that　is；　for　Leghorn　and　Naples　…　being　denied　product；　as

they　call　it；　went　on　to　Turkey；　and　were　freely　admitted　to　unlade

their　cargo　without　any　difficulty；　only　that　when　they　arrived　there；

some　of　their　cargo　was　not　fit　for　sale　in　that　country；　and　other　parts

of　it　being　consigned　to　merchants　at　Leghorn；　the　captains　of　the

ships　had　no　right　nor　any　orders　to　dispose　of　the　goods；　so　that　great

inconveniences　followed　to　the　merchants。　　But　this　was　nothing　but

what　the　necessity　of　affairs　required；　and　the　merchants　at　Leghorn

and　Naples　having　notice　given　them；　sent　again　from　thence　to　take

care　of　the　effects　which　were　particularly　consigned　to　those　ports；

and　to　bring　back　in　other　ships　such　as　were　improper　for　the　markets

at　Smyrna　and　Scanderoon。



The　inconveniences　in　Spain　and　Portugal　were　still　greater；　for　they

would　by　no　means　suffer　our　ships；　especially　those　from　London；　to

come　into　any　of　their　ports；　much　less　to　unlade。　　There　was　a　report

that　one　of　our　ships　having　by　stealth　delivered　her　cargo；　among

which　was　some　bales　of　English　cloth；　cotton；　kerseys；　and　such…like

goods；　the　Spaniards　caused　all　the　goods　to　be　burned；　and　punished

the　men　with　death　who　were　concerned　in　carrying　them　on　shore。

This；　I　believe；　was　in　part　true；　though　I　do　not　affirm　it；　but　it　is　not

at　all　unlikely；　seeing　the　danger　was　really　very　great；　the　infection

being　so　violent　in　London。



I　heard　likewise　that　the　plague　was　carried　into　those　countries　by

some　of　our　ships；　and　particularly　to　the　port　of　Faro　in　the　kingdom

of　Algarve；　belonging　to　the　King　of　Portugal；　and　that　several　persons

died　of　it　there；　but　it　was　not　confirmed。



On　the　other　hand；　though　the　Spaniards　and　Portuguese　were　so　shy

of　us；　it　is　most　certain　that　the　plague　（as　has　been　said）　keeping　at

first　much　at　that　end　of　the　town　next　Westminster；　the

merchandising　part　of　the　town　（such　as　the　city　and　the　water…side）

was　perfectly　sound　till　at　least　the　beginning　of　July；　and　the　ships　in

the　river　till　the　beginning　of　August；　for　to　the　1st　of　July　there　had

died　but　seven　within　the　whole　city；　and　but　sixty　within　the　liberties；

but　one　in　all　the　parishes　of　Stepney；　Aldgate；　and　Whitechappel；　and

but　two　in　the　eight　parishes　of　Southwark。　　But　it　was　the　same　thing

abroad；　for　the　bad　news　was　gone　over　the　whole　world　that　the　city

of　London　was　infected　with　the　plague；　and　there　was　no　inquiring

there　how　the　infection　proceeded；　or　at　which　part　of　the　town　it　was

begun　or　was　reached　to。



Besides；　after　it　began　to　spread　it　increased　so　fast；　and　the　bills

grew　so　high　all　on　a　sudden；　that　it　was　to　no　purpose　to　lessen　the

report　of　it；　or　endeavour　to　make　the　people　abroad　think　it　better

than　it　was；　the　account　which　the　weekly　bills　gave　in　was　sufficient；

and　that　there　died　two　thousand　to　three　or…four　thousand　a　week　was

sufficient　to　alarm　the　whole　trading　part　of　the　world；　and　the

following　time；　being　so　dreadful　also　in　the　very　city　itself；　put　the

whole　world；　I　say；　upon　their　guard　against　it。



You　may　be　sure；　also；　that　the　report　of　these　things　lost　nothing　in

the　carriage。　　The　plague　was　itself　very　terrible；　and　the　distress　of

the　people　very　great；　as　you　may　observe　of　what　I　have　said。　　But　the

rumour　was　infinitely　greater；　and　it　must　not　be　wondered　that　our

friends　abroad　（as　my　broth