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

so　it　was；　for　the　next　week　being；　as　I　said；　the　last　in　September；　the

bill　decreased　almost　two　thousand。



It　is　true　the　plague　was　still　at　a　frightful　height；　and　the　next　bill

was　no　less　than　6460；　and　the　next　to　that；　5720；　but　still　my　friend's

observation　was　just；　and　it　did　appear　the　people　did　recover　faster

and　more　in　number　than　they　used　to　do；　and　indeed；　if　it　had　not

been　so；　what　had　been　the　condition　of　the　city　of　London？　　For；

according　to　my　friend；　there　were　not　fewer　than　60；000　people　at

that　time　infected；　whereof；　as　above；　20；477　died；　and　near　40；000

recovered；　whereas；　had　it　been　as　it　was　before；　50；000　of　that

number　would　very　probably　have　died；　if　not　more；　and　50；000　more

would　have　sickened；　for；　in　a　word；　the　whole　mass　of　people　began

to　sicken；　and　it　looked　as　if　none　would　escape。



But　this　remark　of　my　friend's　appeared　more　evident　in　a　few

weeks　more；　for　the　decrease　went　on；　and　another　week　in　October　it

decreased　1843；　so　that　the　number　dead　of　the　plague　was　but　2665；

and　the　next　week　it　decreased　1413　more；　and　yet　it　was　seen　plainly

that　there　was　abundance　of　people　sick；　nay；　abundance　more　than

ordinary；　and　abundance　fell　sick　every　day　but　（as　above）　the

malignity　of　the　disease　abated。



Such　is　the　precipitant　disposition　of　our　people　（whether　it　is　so　or

not　all　over　the　world；　that's　none　of　my　particular　business　to

inquire）；　but　I　saw　it　apparently　here；　that　as　upon　the　first　fright　of

the　infection　they　shunned　one　another；　and　fled　from　one　another's

houses　and　from　the　city　with　an　unaccountable　and；　as　I　thought；

unnecessary　fright；　so　now；　upon　this　notion　spreading；　viz。；　that　the

distemper　was　not　so　catching　as　formerly；　and　that　if　it　was　catched　it

was　not　so　mortal；　and　seeing　abundance　of　people　who　really　fell

sick　recover　again　daily；　they　took　to　such　a　precipitant　courage；　and

grew　so　entirely　regardless　of　themselves　and　of　the　infection；　that

they　made　no　more　of　the　plague　than　of　an　ordinary　fever；　nor　indeed

so　much。　　They　not　only　went　boldly　into　company　with　those　who

had　tumours　and　carbuncles　upon　them　that　were　running；　and

consequently　contagious；　but　ate　and　drank　with　them；　nay；　into　their

houses　to　visit　them；　and　even；　as　I　was　told；　into　their　very　chambers

where　they　lay　sick。



This　I　could　not　see　rational。　　My　friend　Dr　Heath　allowed；　and　it

was　plain　to　experience；　that　the　distemper　was　as　catching　as　ever；

and　as　many　fell　sick；　but　only　he　alleged　that　so　many　of　those　that

fell　sick　did　not　die；　but　I　think　that　while　many　did　die；　and　that　at

best　the　distemper　itself　was　very　terrible；　the　sores　and　swellings　very

tormenting；　and　the　danger　of　death　not　left　out　of　the　circumstances

of　sickness；　though　not　so　frequent　as　before；　all　those　things；　together

with　the　exceeding　tediousness　of　the　cure；　the　loathsomeness　of　the

disease；　and　many　other　articles；　were　enough　to　deter　any　man　living

from　a　dangerous　mixture　with　the　sick　people；　and　make　them　as

anxious　almost　to　avoid　the　infections　as　before。



Nay；　there　was　another　thing　which　made　the　mere　catching　of　the

distemper　frightful；　and　that　was　the　terrible　burning　of　the　caustics

which　the　surgeons　laid　on　the　swellings　to　bring　them　to　break　and　to

run；　without　which　the　danger　of　death　was　very　great；　even　to　the

last。　　Also；　the　insufferable　torment　of　the　swellings；　which；　though　it

might　not　make　people　raving　and　distracted；　as　they　were　before；　and

as　I　have　given　several　instances　of　already；　yet　they　put　the　patient　to

inexpressible　torment；　and　those　that　fell　into　it；　though　they　did

escape　with　life；　yet　they　made　bitter　complaints　of　those　that　had　told

them　there　was　no　danger；　and　sadly　repented　their　rashness　and　folly

in　venturing　to　run　into　the　reach　of　it。



Nor　did　this　unwary　conduct　of　the　people　end　here；　for　a　great

many　that　thus　cast　off　their　cautions　suffered　more　deeply　still；　and

though　many　escaped；　yet　many　died；　and　at　least　it　had　this　public

mischief　attending　it；　that　it　made　the　decrease　of　burials　slower　than

it　would　otherwise　have　been。　　For　as　this　notion　ran　like　lightning

through　the　city；　and　people's　heads　were　possessed　with　it；　even　as

soon　as　the　first　great　decrease　in　the　bills　appeared；　we　found　that　the

two　next　bills　did　not　decrease　in　proportion；　the　reason　I　take　to　be

the　people's　running　so　rashly　into　danger；　giving　up　all　their　former

cautions　and　care；　and　all　the　shyness　which　they　used　to　practise；

depending　that　the　sickness　would　not　reach　them　…　or　that　if　it　did；

they　should　not　die。



The　physicians　opposed　this　thoughtless　humour　of　the　people　with

all　their　might；　and　gave　out　printed　directions；　spreading　them　all

over　the　city　and　suburbs；　advising　the　people　to　continue　reserved；

and　to　use　still　the　utmost　caution　in　their　ordinary　conduct；

notwithstanding　the　decrease　of　the　distemper；　terrifying　them　with

the　danger　of　bringing　a　relapse　upon　the　whole　city；　and　telling　them

how　such　a　relapse　might　be　more　fatal　and　dangerous　than　the　whole

visitation　that　had　been　already；　with　many　arguments　and　reasons　to

explain　and　prove　that　part　to　them；　and　which　are　too　long　to　repeat　here。



But　it　was　all　to　no　purpose；　the　audacious　creatures　were　so

possessed　with　the　first　joy　and　so　surprised　with　the　satisfaction　of

seeing　a　vast　decrease　in　the　weekly　bills；　that　they　were　impenetrable

by　any　new　terrors；　and　would　not　be　persuaded　but　that　the　bitterness

of　death　was　past；　and　it　was　to　no　more　purpose　to　talk　to　them　than

to　an　east　wind；　but　they　opened　shops；　went　about　streets；　did

business；　and　conversed　with　anybody　that　came　in　their　way　to

converse　with；　whether　with　business　or　without；　neither　inquiring　of

their　health　or　so　much　as　being　apprehensive　of　any　danger　from

them；　though　they　knew　them　not　to　be　sound。



This　imprudent；　rash　conduct　cost　a　great　many　their　lives　who　had

with　great　care　and　caution　shut　themselves　up　and　kept　retired；　as　it

were；　from　all　mankind；　and　had　by　that　means；　under　God's

providence；　been　preserved　through　all　the　heat　of　that　infection。



This　rash　and　foolish　conduct；　I　say；　of　the　people　went　so　far　that

the　ministers　took　notice　to　them　of　it　at　last；　and　laid　before　them

both　the　folly　and　danger　of　it；　and　this　checked　it　a　little；　so　that　they

grew　more　cautious。　　But　it　had　another　effect；　which　they　could　not

check；　for　as　the　first　rumour　had　spread　not　over　the　city　only；　but

into　the　country；　it　had　the　like　effect：　and　the　people　were　so　tired

with　being　so　long　from　London；　and　so　eager　to　come　back；　that　they

flocked　to　town　without　fear　or　forecast；　and　began　to　show

themselves　in　the　streets　as　if　all　the　danger　was　over。　　It　was　indeed

surprising　to　see　it；　for　though　there　died　still　from　1000　to　1800　a

week；　yet　the　people　flocked　to　town　as　if　all　had　been　well。



The　consequence　of　this　was；　that　the　bills　increased　again　400　the

very　first　week　in　November；　and　if　I　might　believe　the　physicians；

there　was　above　3000　fell　sick　that　week；　most　of　them　new…comers；　too。



One　John　Cock；　a　barber　in　St　Martin's…le…Grand；　was　an　eminent

example　of　this；　I　mean　of　the　hasty　return　of　the　people　when　the

plague　was　abated。　　This　John　Cock　had　left　the　town　with　his　whole

family；　and　locked　up　his　house；　and　was　gone　in　the　country；　as　many

others　did；　and　finding　the　plague　so　decreased　in　November　that

there　died　but　905　per　week　of　all　diseases；　he　ventured　home　again。

He　had　in　his　family　ten　persons；　that　is　to　say；　himself　and　wife；　five

children；　two　apprentices；　and　a　maid…servant。　　He　had　not　returned　to

his　house　above　a　week；　and　began　to　open　his　shop　and　carry　on　his

trade；　but　the　distemper　broke　out　in　his　family；　and　within　about　five

days　they　all　died；　except　one；　that　is　to　say；　himself；　his　wife；　all　his

five　children；　and　his　two　apprentices；　and　only　the　maid　remained　alive。



But　the　mercy　of　God　was　greater　to　the　rest　than　we　had　reason　to

expect；　for　the　malignity　（as　I　have　said）　of　the　distemper　was　spent；

the　contagion　was　exhausted；　and　also　the　winter　weather　came　on

apace；　and　the　air　was　clear　and　cold；　with　sharp　frosts；　and　this

increasing　still；　most　of　those　that　had　fallen　sick　recovered；　and　the

health　of　the　city　began　to　return。　There　were　indeed　some　returns　of

the　distemper　even　in　the　month　of　December；　and　the　bills　increased

near　a　hundred；　but　it　went　off　again；　and　so　in　a　short　while　things

began　to　return　to　their　own　channel。　　And　wonderful　it　was　to　see

how　populous　the　city　was　again　all　on　a　sudden；　so　that　a　stranger

could　not　miss　the　numbers　that　were　lost。　　Neither　was　there　any　miss

of　the　inhabitants　as　to　their　dwellings　…　few　or　no　empty　houses　were

to　be　seen；　or　if　there　were　some；　there　was　no　want　of

tenants　for　them。



I　wish　I　could　say　that　as　the　city　had　a　new　face；　so　the　manners　of

the　people　had　a　new　appearance。　　I　doubt　not　but　there　were　many

that　retained　a　sincere　sense　of　their　deliverance；　and　were　that

heartily　thankful　to　that　Sovereign　Hand　that　had　protected　them　in　so

dangerous　a　time；　it　would　be　very　uncharitable　to　judge　otherwise　in

a　city　so　populous；　and　where　the　people　were　so　devout　as　they　were

here　in　the　time　of　the　visitation　itself；　but　except　what　of　this　was　to

be　found　in　particular　families　and　faces；　it　must　be　acknowledged

that　the　general　practice　of　the　people　was　just　as　it　was　before；　and

very　little　difference　was　to　be　seen。



Some；　indeed；　said　things　were　worse；　that　the　morals　of　the　people

declined　from　this　very　time；　that　the　people；　hardened　by　the　danger

they　had　been　in；　like　seamen　after　a　storm　is　over；　were　more　wicked

and　more　stupid；　more　bold　and　hardened；　in　their