History of the Plague in London by Daniel Defoe
incessant roarings; and such loud and lamentablecries were to be heard, as we walked along the streets, that[129] wouldpierce the very heart to think of, especially when it was to beconsidered that the same dreadful scourge might be expected every momentto seize upon ourselves.
I cannot say but that now I began to faint in my resolutions. My heartfailed me very much, and sorely I repented of my rashness, when I hadbeen out, and met with such terrible things as these I have talked of. Isay I repented my rashness in venturing to abide in town, and I wishedoften that I had not taken upon me to stay, but had gone away with mybrother and his family.
Terrified by those frightful objects, I would retire home sometimes, andresolve to go out no more; and perhaps I would keep those resolutionsfor three or four days, which time I spent in the most seriousthankfulness for my preservation and the preservation of my family, andthe constant confession of my sins, giving myself up to God every day,and applying to him with fasting and humiliation and meditation. Suchintervals as I had, I employed in reading books and in writing down mymemorandums of what occurred to me every day, and out of which,afterwards, I took most of this work, as it relates to my observationswithout doors. What I wrote of my private meditations I reserve forprivate use, and desire it may not be made public on any accountwhatever.
I also wrote other meditations upon divine subjects, such as occurred tome at that time, and were profitable to myself, but not fit for anyother view, and therefore I say no more of that.
I had a very good friend, a physician, whose name was Heath, whom Ifrequently visited during this dismal time, and to whose advice I wasvery much obliged for many things which he directed me to take by way ofpreventing the infection when I went out, as he found I frequently did,and to hold in my mouth when I was in the streets. He also came veryoften to see me; and as he was a good Christian, as well as a goodphysician, his agreeable conversation was a very great support to me inthe worst of this terrible time.
It was now the beginning of August, and the plague grew very violent andterrible in the place where I lived; and Dr. Heath coming to visit me,and finding that I ventured so often out in the streets, earnestlypersuaded me to lock myself up, and my family, and not to suffer any ofus to go out of doors; to keep all our windows fast, shutters andcurtains close, and never to open them, but first to make a very strongsmoke in the room, where the window or door was to be opened, withrosin[130] and pitch, brimstone and gunpowder, and the like; and we didthis for some time. But, as I had not laid in a store of provision forsuch a retreat, it was impossible that we could keep within doorsentirely. However, I attempted, though it was so very late, to dosomething towards it; and first, as I had convenience both for brewingand baking, I went and bought two sacks of meal, and for several weeks,having an oven, we baked all our own bread; also I bought malt, andbrewed as much beer as all the casks I had would hold, and which seemedenough to serve my house for five or six weeks; also I laid in aquantity of salt butter and Cheshire cheese; but I had no fleshmeat,[131] and the plague raged so violently among the butchers andslaughterhouses on the other side of our street, where they are known todwell in great numbers, that it was not advisable so much as to go overthe street among them.
And here I must observe again, that this necessity of going out of ourhouses to buy provisions was in a great measure the ruin of the wholecity; for the people catched the distemper, on these occasions, one ofanother; and even the provisions themselves were often tainted (at leastI have great reason to believe so), and therefore I cannot say withsatisfaction, what I know is repeated with great assurance, that themarket people, and such as brought provisions to town, were neverinfected. I am certain the butchers of Whitechapel, where the greatestpart of the flesh meat was killed, were dreadfully visited, and that atlast to such a degree that few of their shops were kept open; and thosethat remained of them killed their meat at Mile End, and that way, andbrought it to market upon horses.
However, the poor people could not lay up provisions, and there was anecessity that they must go to market to buy, and others to sendservants or their children; and, as this was a necessity which reneweditself daily, it brought abundance of unsound people to the markets; anda great many that went thither sound brought death home with them.
It is true, people used all possible precaution. When any one bought ajoint of meat in the market, they[132] would not take it out of thebutcher's hand, but took it off the hooks themselves.[132] On the otherhand, the butcher would not touch the money, but have it put into a potfull of vinegar, which he kept for that purpose. The buyer carriedalways small money to make up any odd sum, that they might take nochange. They carried bottles for scents and perfumes in their hands, andall the means that could be used were employed; but then the poor couldnot do even these things, and they went at all hazards.
Innumerable dismal stories we heard every day on this very account.Sometimes a man or woman dropped down dead in the very markets; for manypeople that had the plague upon them knew nothing of it till the inwardgangrene had affected their vitals, and they died in a few moments. Thiscaused that many died frequently in that manner in the street suddenly,without any warning: others, perhaps, had time to go to the nextbulk[133] or stall, or to any door or porch, and just sit down and die,as I have said before.
These objects were so frequent in the streets, that when the plague cameto be very raging on one side, there was scarce any passing by thestreets but that several dead bodies would be lying here and there uponthe ground. On the other hand, it is observable, that though at firstthe people would stop as they went along, and call to the neighbors tocome out on such an occasion, yet afterward no notice was taken of them;but that, if at any time we found a corpse lying, go across the way andnot come near it; or, if in a narrow lane or passage, go back again, andseek some other way to go on the business we were upon. And in thosecases the corpse was always left till the officers had notice to comeand take them away, or till night, when the bearers attending the deadcart would take them up and carry them away. Nor did those undauntedcreatures who performed these offices fail to search their pockets, andsometimes strip off their clothes, if they were well dressed, assometimes they were, and carry off what they could get.
But to return to the markets. The butchers took that care, that, if anyperson died in the market, they had the officers always at hand to takethem up upon handbarrows, and carry them to the next churchyard; andthis was so frequent that such were not entered in the weekly bill,found dead in the streets or fields, as is the case now, but they wentinto the general articles of the great distemper.
But now the fury of the distemper increased to such a degree, that eventhe markets were but very thinly furnished with provisions, orfrequented with buyers, compared to what they were before; and the lordmayor caused the country people who brought provisions to be stopped inthe streets leading into the town, and to sit down there with theirgoods, where they sold what they brought, and went immediately away. Andthis encouraged the country people greatly to do so; for they sold theirprovisions at the very entrances into the town, and even in the fields,as particularly in the fields beyond Whitechapel, in Spittlefields.Note, those streets now called Spittlefields were then indeed openfields; also in St. George's Fields in Southwark, in Bunhill Fields, andin a great field called Wood's Close, near Islington. Thither the lordmayor, aldermen, and magistrates sent their officers and servants to buyfor their families, themselves keeping within doors as much as possible;and the like did many other people. And after this method was taken, thecountry people came with great cheerfulness, and brought provisions ofall sorts, and very seldom got any harm, which, I suppose, added alsoto that report of their being miraculously preserved.[134]
As for my little family, having thus, as I have said, laid in a store ofbread, butter, cheese, and beer, I took my friend and physician'sadvice, and locked myself up, and my family, and resolved to suffer thehardship of living a few months without flesh meat rather than topurchase it at the hazard of our lives.
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But, though I confined my family, I could not prevail upon myunsatisfied curiosity to stay within entirely myself, and, though Igenerally came frighted and terrified home, yet I could not restrain,only that, indeed, I did not do it so frequently as at first.
I had some little obligations, indeed, upon me to go to my brother'shouse, which was in Coleman Street Parish, and which he had left to mycare; and I went at first every day, but afterwards only once or twice aweek.
In these walks I had many dismal scenes before my eyes, as,particularly, of persons falling dead in the streets, terrible shrieksand screechings of women, who in their agonies would throw open theirchamber windows, and cry out in a dismal surprising manner. It isimpossible to describe the variety of postures in which the passions ofthe poor people would express themselves.
Passing through Token-House Yard in Lothbury, of a sudden a casementviolently opened just over my head, and a woman gave three frightfulscreeches, and
I cannot say but that now I began to faint in my resolutions. My heartfailed me very much, and sorely I repented of my rashness, when I hadbeen out, and met with such terrible things as these I have talked of. Isay I repented my rashness in venturing to abide in town, and I wishedoften that I had not taken upon me to stay, but had gone away with mybrother and his family.
Terrified by those frightful objects, I would retire home sometimes, andresolve to go out no more; and perhaps I would keep those resolutionsfor three or four days, which time I spent in the most seriousthankfulness for my preservation and the preservation of my family, andthe constant confession of my sins, giving myself up to God every day,and applying to him with fasting and humiliation and meditation. Suchintervals as I had, I employed in reading books and in writing down mymemorandums of what occurred to me every day, and out of which,afterwards, I took most of this work, as it relates to my observationswithout doors. What I wrote of my private meditations I reserve forprivate use, and desire it may not be made public on any accountwhatever.
I also wrote other meditations upon divine subjects, such as occurred tome at that time, and were profitable to myself, but not fit for anyother view, and therefore I say no more of that.
I had a very good friend, a physician, whose name was Heath, whom Ifrequently visited during this dismal time, and to whose advice I wasvery much obliged for many things which he directed me to take by way ofpreventing the infection when I went out, as he found I frequently did,and to hold in my mouth when I was in the streets. He also came veryoften to see me; and as he was a good Christian, as well as a goodphysician, his agreeable conversation was a very great support to me inthe worst of this terrible time.
It was now the beginning of August, and the plague grew very violent andterrible in the place where I lived; and Dr. Heath coming to visit me,and finding that I ventured so often out in the streets, earnestlypersuaded me to lock myself up, and my family, and not to suffer any ofus to go out of doors; to keep all our windows fast, shutters andcurtains close, and never to open them, but first to make a very strongsmoke in the room, where the window or door was to be opened, withrosin[130] and pitch, brimstone and gunpowder, and the like; and we didthis for some time. But, as I had not laid in a store of provision forsuch a retreat, it was impossible that we could keep within doorsentirely. However, I attempted, though it was so very late, to dosomething towards it; and first, as I had convenience both for brewingand baking, I went and bought two sacks of meal, and for several weeks,having an oven, we baked all our own bread; also I bought malt, andbrewed as much beer as all the casks I had would hold, and which seemedenough to serve my house for five or six weeks; also I laid in aquantity of salt butter and Cheshire cheese; but I had no fleshmeat,[131] and the plague raged so violently among the butchers andslaughterhouses on the other side of our street, where they are known todwell in great numbers, that it was not advisable so much as to go overthe street among them.
And here I must observe again, that this necessity of going out of ourhouses to buy provisions was in a great measure the ruin of the wholecity; for the people catched the distemper, on these occasions, one ofanother; and even the provisions themselves were often tainted (at leastI have great reason to believe so), and therefore I cannot say withsatisfaction, what I know is repeated with great assurance, that themarket people, and such as brought provisions to town, were neverinfected. I am certain the butchers of Whitechapel, where the greatestpart of the flesh meat was killed, were dreadfully visited, and that atlast to such a degree that few of their shops were kept open; and thosethat remained of them killed their meat at Mile End, and that way, andbrought it to market upon horses.
However, the poor people could not lay up provisions, and there was anecessity that they must go to market to buy, and others to sendservants or their children; and, as this was a necessity which reneweditself daily, it brought abundance of unsound people to the markets; anda great many that went thither sound brought death home with them.
It is true, people used all possible precaution. When any one bought ajoint of meat in the market, they[132] would not take it out of thebutcher's hand, but took it off the hooks themselves.[132] On the otherhand, the butcher would not touch the money, but have it put into a potfull of vinegar, which he kept for that purpose. The buyer carriedalways small money to make up any odd sum, that they might take nochange. They carried bottles for scents and perfumes in their hands, andall the means that could be used were employed; but then the poor couldnot do even these things, and they went at all hazards.
Innumerable dismal stories we heard every day on this very account.Sometimes a man or woman dropped down dead in the very markets; for manypeople that had the plague upon them knew nothing of it till the inwardgangrene had affected their vitals, and they died in a few moments. Thiscaused that many died frequently in that manner in the street suddenly,without any warning: others, perhaps, had time to go to the nextbulk[133] or stall, or to any door or porch, and just sit down and die,as I have said before.
These objects were so frequent in the streets, that when the plague cameto be very raging on one side, there was scarce any passing by thestreets but that several dead bodies would be lying here and there uponthe ground. On the other hand, it is observable, that though at firstthe people would stop as they went along, and call to the neighbors tocome out on such an occasion, yet afterward no notice was taken of them;but that, if at any time we found a corpse lying, go across the way andnot come near it; or, if in a narrow lane or passage, go back again, andseek some other way to go on the business we were upon. And in thosecases the corpse was always left till the officers had notice to comeand take them away, or till night, when the bearers attending the deadcart would take them up and carry them away. Nor did those undauntedcreatures who performed these offices fail to search their pockets, andsometimes strip off their clothes, if they were well dressed, assometimes they were, and carry off what they could get.
But to return to the markets. The butchers took that care, that, if anyperson died in the market, they had the officers always at hand to takethem up upon handbarrows, and carry them to the next churchyard; andthis was so frequent that such were not entered in the weekly bill,found dead in the streets or fields, as is the case now, but they wentinto the general articles of the great distemper.
But now the fury of the distemper increased to such a degree, that eventhe markets were but very thinly furnished with provisions, orfrequented with buyers, compared to what they were before; and the lordmayor caused the country people who brought provisions to be stopped inthe streets leading into the town, and to sit down there with theirgoods, where they sold what they brought, and went immediately away. Andthis encouraged the country people greatly to do so; for they sold theirprovisions at the very entrances into the town, and even in the fields,as particularly in the fields beyond Whitechapel, in Spittlefields.Note, those streets now called Spittlefields were then indeed openfields; also in St. George's Fields in Southwark, in Bunhill Fields, andin a great field called Wood's Close, near Islington. Thither the lordmayor, aldermen, and magistrates sent their officers and servants to buyfor their families, themselves keeping within doors as much as possible;and the like did many other people. And after this method was taken, thecountry people came with great cheerfulness, and brought provisions ofall sorts, and very seldom got any harm, which, I suppose, added alsoto that report of their being miraculously preserved.[134]
As for my little family, having thus, as I have said, laid in a store ofbread, butter, cheese, and beer, I took my friend and physician'sadvice, and locked myself up, and my family, and resolved to suffer thehardship of living a few months without flesh meat rather than topurchase it at the hazard of our lives.
But, though I confined my family, I could not prevail upon myunsatisfied curiosity to stay within entirely myself, and, though Igenerally came frighted and terrified home, yet I could not restrain,only that, indeed, I did not do it so frequently as at first.
I had some little obligations, indeed, upon me to go to my brother'shouse, which was in Coleman Street Parish, and which he had left to mycare; and I went at first every day, but afterwards only once or twice aweek.
In these walks I had many dismal scenes before my eyes, as,particularly, of persons falling dead in the streets, terrible shrieksand screechings of women, who in their agonies would throw open theirchamber windows, and cry out in a dismal surprising manner. It isimpossible to describe the variety of postures in which the passions ofthe poor people would express themselves.
Passing through Token-House Yard in Lothbury, of a sudden a casementviolently opened just over my head, and a woman gave three frightfulscreeches, and