Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/103

 Fields: Alſo in St. George’s-fields in Southwork, in Bun-Hill Fields, and in a great Field, call’d Wood’s-Cloſe near Iſlington; thither the Lord-Mayor, Aldermen, and Magiſtrates, ſent their Officers and Servants to buy for their Families, themſelves keeping within Doors as much as poſſible; and the like did many other People; and after this Method was taken, the Country People came with great chearfulneſs, and brought Proviſions of all Sorts, and very ſeldom got any harm; which I ſuppoſe, added alſo to that Report of their being Miraculouſly preſerv’d.

As for my little Family, having thus as I have ſaid, laid in a Store of Bread, Butter, Cheeſe, and Beer, I took my Friend and Phyſician’s Advice, and lock’d my ſelf up, and my Family, and reſolv’d to ſuffer the hardſhip of Living a few Months without Fleſh-Meat, rather than to purchaſe it at the hazard of our Lives. But tho’ I confin'd my Family, I could not prevail upon my unſatisfy’d Curioſity to ſtay within entirely my ſelf; and tho’ I generally came frighted and terriſied Home, yet I cou’d 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 Brothers Houſe, which was in Coleman’s-ſtreet Pariſh, and which he had left to my Care, and I went at firſt every Day, but afterwards only once, or twice a Week.

In theſe Walks I had many diſmal Scenes before my Eyes, as particularly of Perſons falling dead in the Streets, terrible Shrieks and Skreekings of Women, who in their Agonies would throw open their Chamber Windows, and cry out in a diſmal Surpriſing Manner; it is impoſſible to deſcribe the Variety of Poſtures, in which the Paſſions of the Poor People would Expreſs themſelves. Paſſing thro’ Token-Houſe-Yard in Lothbury, of a ſudden a Caſement violently opened juſt over my Head, and a Woman gave three frightful Skreetches,