part6-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



otherwise　have　been。



But　I　return　to　the　coals　as　a　trade。　　It　was　with　no　little　difficulty

that　this　trade　was　kept　open；　and　particularly　because；　as　we　were　in　an

open　war　with　I　the　Dutch　at　that　time；　the　Dutch　capers　at　first　took　a

great　many　of　our　collier…ships；　which　made　the　rest　cautious；　and

made　them　to　stay　to　come　in　fleets　together。　　But　after　some　time　the

capers　were　either　afraid　to　take　them；　or　their　masters；　the　States；

were　afraid　they　should；　and　forbade　them；　lest　the　plague　should　be

among　them；　which　made　them　fare　the　better。



For　the　security　of　those　northern　traders；　the　coal…ships　were

ordered　by　my　Lord　Mayor　not　to　come　up　into　the　Pool　above　a

certain　number　at　a　time；　and　ordered　lighters　and　other　vessels　such

as　the　woodmongers　（that　is；　the　wharf…keepers　or　coal…sellers）

furnished；　to　go　down　and　take　out　the　coals　as　low　as　Deptford　and

Greenwich；　and　some　farther　down。



Others　delivered　great　quantities　of　coals　in　particular　places　where

the　ships　could　come　to　the　shore；　as　at　Greenwich；　Blackwall；　and

other　places；　in　vast　heaps；　as　if　to　be　kept　for　sale；　but　were　then

fetched　away　after　the　ships　which　brought　them　were　gone；　so　that

the　seamen　had　no　communication　with　the　river…men；　nor　so　much　as

came　near　one　another。



Yet　all　this　caution　could　not　effectually　prevent　the　distemper

getting　among　the　colliery：　that　is　to　say　among　the　ships；　by　which　a

great　many　seamen　died　of　it；　and　that　which　was　still　worse　was；　that

they　carried　it　down　to　Ipswich　and　Yarmouth；　to　Newcastle…upon…

Tyne；　and　other　places　on　the　coast　…　where；　especially　at　Newcastle

and　at　Sunderland；　it　carried　off　a　great

number　of　people。



The　making　so　many　fires；　as　above；　did　indeed　consume　an　unusual

quantity　of　coals；　and　that　upon　one　or　two　stops　of　the　ships　coming

up；　whether　by　contrary　weather　or　by　the　interruption　of　enemies　I　do

not　remember；　but　the　price　of　coals　was　exceeding　dear；　even　as　high

as　4　a　chalder；　but　it　soon　abated　when　the　ships　came　in；　and　as

afterwards　they　had　a　freer　passage；　the　price　was　very　reasonable　all

the　rest　of　that　year。



The　public　fires　which　were　made　on　these　occasions；　as　I　have

calculated　it；　must　necessarily　have　cost　the　city　about　200　chalders　of

coals　a　week；　if　they　had　continued；　which　was　indeed　a　very　great　quantity；

but　as　it　was　thought　necessary；　nothing　was　spared。　　However；　as　some　of

the　physicians　cried　them　down；　they　were　not　kept　alight　above　four　or

five　days。　　The　fires　were　ordered　thus：　…





One　at　the　Custom　House；　one　at　Billingsgate；　one　at　Queenhith；

and　one　at　the　Three　Cranes；　one　in　Blackfriars；　and　one　at　the　gate　of

Bridewell；　one　at　the　corner　of　Leadenhal　Street　and　Gracechurch；

one　at　the　north　and　one　at　the　south　gate　of　the　Royal　Exchange；　one

at　Guild　Hall；　and　one　at　Blackwell　Hall　gate；　one　at　the　Lord　Mayor's

door　in　St　Helen's；　one　at　the　west　entrance　into　St　Paul's；　and　one　at

the　entrance　into　Bow　Church。　　I　do　not　remember　whether　there　was

any　at　the　city　gates；　but　one　at　the　Bridge…foot　there　was；　just　by　St

Magnus　Church。



I　know　some　have　quarrelled　since　that　at　the　experiment；　and　said

that　there　died　the　more　people　because　of　those　fires；　but　I　am

persuaded　those　that　say　so　offer　no　evidence　to　prove　it；　neither　can　I

believe　it　on　any　account　whatever。



It　remains　to　give　some　account　of　the　state　of　trade　at　home　in

England　during　this　dreadful　time；　and　particularly　as　it　relates　to　the

manufactures　and　the　trade　in　the　city。　　At　the　first　breaking　out　of　the

infection　there　was；　as　it　is　easy　to　suppose；　a　very　great　fright　among

the　people；　and　consequently　a　general　stop　of　trade；　except　in

provisions　and　necessaries　of　life；　and　even　in　those　things；　as　there

was　a　vast　number　of　people　fled　and　a　very　great　number　always　sick；

besides　the　number　which　died；　so　there　could　not　be　above　two…

thirds；　if　above　one…half；　of　the　consumption　of　provisions　in　the　city

as　used　to　be。



It　pleased　God　to　send　a　very　plentiful　year　of　corn　and　fruit；　but　not

of　hay　or　grass　…　by　which　means　bread　was　cheap；　by　reason　of　the

plenty　of　corn。　　Flesh　was　cheap；　by　reason　of　the　scarcity　of　grass；

but　butter　and　cheese　were　dear　for　the　same　reason；　and　hay　in　the

market　just　beyond　Whitechappel　Bars　was　sold　at　4　pound　per　load。

But　that　affected　not　the　poor。　　There　was　a　most　excessive　plenty

of　all　sorts　of　fruit；　such　as　apples；　pears；　plums；　cherries；　grapes；

and　they　were　the　cheaper　because　of　the　want　of　people；　but　this

made　the　poor　eat　them　to　excess；　and　this　brought　them　into　fluxes；

griping　of　the　guts；　surfeits；　and　the　like；　which　often　precipitated

them　into　the　plague。



But　to　come　to　matters　of　trade。　　First；　foreign　exportation　being

stopped　or　at　least　very　much　interrupted　and　rendered　difficult；　a

general　stop　of　all　those　manufactures　followed　of　course　which　were

usually　brought　for　exportation；　and　though　sometimes　merchants

abroad　were　importunate　for　goods；　yet　little　was　sent；　the　passages

being　so　generally　stopped　that　the　English　ships　would　not　be

admitted；　as　is　said　already；　into　their　port。



This　put　a　stop　to　the　manufactures　that　were　for　exportation　in　most

parts　of　England；　except　in　some　out…ports；　and　even　that　was　soon

stopped；　for　they　all　had　the　plague　in　their　turn。　　But　though　this　was

felt　all　over　England；　yet；　what　was　still　worse；　all　intercourse　of　trade

for　home　consumption　of　manufactures；　especially　those　which

usually　circulated　through　the　Londoner's　hands；　was　stopped　at　once；

the　trade　of　the　city　being　stopped。



All　kinds　of　handicrafts　in　the　city；　&c。；　tradesmen　and　mechanics；

were；　as　I　have　said　before；　out　of　employ；　and　this　occasioned　the

putting…off　and　dismissing　an　innumerable　number　of　journeymen　and

workmen　of　all　sorts；　seeing　nothing　was　done　relating　to　such　trades

but　what　might　be　said　to　be　absolutely　necessary。



This　caused　the　multitude　of　single　people　in　London　to　be

unprovided　for；　as　also　families　whose　living　depended　upon　the

labour　of　the　heads　of　those　families；　I　say；　this　reduced　them　to

extreme　misery；　and　I　must　confess　it　is　for　the　honour　of　the　city　of

London；　and　will　be　for　many　ages；　as　long　as　this　is　to　be　spoken　of；

that　they　were　able　to　supply　with　charitable　provision　the　wants　of　so

many　thousands　of　those　as　afterwards　fell　sick　and　were　distressed：

so　that　it　may　be　safely　averred　that　nobody　perished　for　want；　at　least

that　the　magistrates　had　any　notice　given　them　of。



This　stagnation　of　our　manufacturing　trade　in　the　country　would

have　put　the　people　there　to　much　greater　difficulties；　but　that　the

master…workmen；　clothiers　and　others；　to　the　uttermost　of　their　stocks

and　strength；　kept　on　making　their　goods　to　keep　the　poor　at　work；

believing　that　soon　as　the　sickness　should　abate　they　would　have　a

quick　demand　in　proportion　to　the　decay　of　their　trade　at　that　time。

But　as　none　but　those　masters　that　were　rich　could　do　thus；　and　that

many　were　poor　and　not　able；　the　manufacturing　trade　in　England

suffered　greatly；　and　the　poor　were　pinched　all　over　England　by　the

calamity　of　the　city　of　London　only。



It　is　true　that　the　next　year　made　them　full　amends　by　another

terrible　calamity　upon　the　city；　so　that　the　city　by　one　calamity

impoverished　and　weakened　the　country；　and　by　another　calamity；

even　terrible　too　of　its　kind；　enriched　the　country　and　made　them

again　amends；　for　an　infinite　quantity　of　household　Stuff；　wearing

apparel；　and　other　things；　besides　whole　warehouses　filled　with

merchandise　and　manufactures　such　as　come　from　all　parts　of

England；　were　consumed　in　the　fire　of　London　the　next　year　after　this

terrible　visitation。　　It　is　incredible　what　a　trade　this　made　all　over　the

whole　kingdom；　to　make　good　the　want　and　to　supply　that　loss；　so

that；　in　short；　all　the　manufacturing　hands　in　the　nation　were　set　on

work；　and　were　little　enough　for　several　years　to　supply　the　market

and　answer　the　demands。　　All　foreign　markets　also　were　empty　of　our

goods　by　the　stop　which　had　been　occasioned　by　the　plague；　and

before　an　open　trade　was　allowed　again；　and　the　prodigious　demand　at

home　falling　in；　joined　to　make　a　quick　vent　for　all　sort　of　goods；　so

that　there　never　was　known　such　a　trade　all　over　England　for　the　time

as　was　in　the　first　seven　years　after　the　plague；　and　after　the

fire　of　London。



It　remains　now　that　I　should　say　something　of　the　merciful　part　of

this　terrible　judgement。　　The　last　week　in　September；　the　plague　being

come　to　its　crisis；　its　fury　began　to　assuage。　　I　remember　my　friend　Dr

Heath；　coming　to　see　me　the　week　before；　told　me　he　was　sure　that　the

violence　of　it　would　assuage　in　a　few　days；　but　when　I　saw　the　weekly

bill　of　that　week；　which　was　the　highest　of　the　whole　year；　being　8297

of　all　diseases；　I　upbraided　him　with　it；　and　asked　him　what　he　had

made　his　judgement　from。　　His　answer；　however；　was　not　so　much　to

seek　as　I　thought　it　would　have　been。　　'Look　you；'　says　he；　'by　the

number　which　are　at　this　time　sick　and　infected；　there　should　have

been　twenty　thousand　dead　the　last　week　instead　of　eight　thousand；　if

the　inveterate　mortal　contagion　had　been　as　it　was　two　weeks　ago；　for

then　it　ordinarily　killed　in　two　or　three　days；　now　not　under　eight　or

ten；　and　then　not　above　one　in　five　recovered；　whereas　I　have

observed　that　now　not　above　two　in　five　miscarry。　　And；　observe　it

from　me；　the　next　bill　will　decrease；　and　you　will　see　many　more

people　recover　than　used　to　do；　for　though　a　vast　multitude　are　now

everywhere　infected；　and　as　many　every　day　fall　sick；　yet　there　will

not　so　many　die　as　there　did；　for　the　malignity　of　the　distemper　is

abated'；　…　adding　that　he　began　now　to　hope；　nay；　more　than　hope；　that

the　infection　had　passed　its　crisis　and　was　going　off；　and　accordi