Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/100

 where I liv’d, and Dr. Heath coming to viſit me, and finding that I ventured ſo often out in the Streets, earneſtly perſwaded me to lock my ſelf up and my Family, and not to ſuffer any of us to go out of Doors; to keep all our Windows faſt, Shutters and Curtains, cloſe, and never to open them; but firſt to make a very ſtrong Smoke in the Room, where the Window, or Door was to be opened, with Rozen and Pitch, Brimſtone, or Gunpowder, and the like, and we did this for ſome Time: But as I had not laid in a Store of Proviſion for ſuch a retreat, it was impoſſible that we could keep within Doors entirely; however, I attempted, tho’ it was ſo very late, to do ſomething towards it; and firſt, as I had Convenience both for Brewing and 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, and brew’d as much Beer as all the Casks I had would hold, and which ſeem’d enough to ſerve my Houſe for five or fix Weeks; alſo I laid in a Quantity of Salt-butter and Cheſhire Cheeſe, but I had no Fleſh-meat, and the Plague raged ſo violently among the Butchers, and Slaughter-Houſes, on the other Side of our Street, where they are known to dwell in great Numbers, that it was not adviſable, ſo much as to go over the Street among them.

And here I muſt obſerve again, that this Neceſſity of going out of our Houſes to buy Proviſions, was in a great Meaſure the Ruin of the whole City, for the People catch’d the Diſtemper, on thoſe Occaſions, one of another, and even the Proviſions themſelves were often tainted, at leaſt I have great Reaſon to believe ſo, and therefore I cannot ſay with Satisfaction what I know is repeated with great Aſſurance, that the Market People, and ſuch as brought Proviſions, to Town, were never infected; I am certain, the Butchers of White-Chapel where the greateſt Part of the Fleſh-meat was killed, were dreadfully viſited, and that at laſt to ſuch a Degree, that few