Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/125

 melancholly by their Miſery, as many were, wandred away into the Fields, and Woods, and into ſecret uncouth Places, almoſt any where to creep into a Buſh, or Hedge, and.

The Inhabitants of the Villages adjacent would in Pity, carry them Food, and ſet it at a Diſtance, that they might fetch it, if they were able, and ſometimes they were not able; and the next Time they went, they ſhould find the poor Wretches lie dead, and the Food untouch’d. The Number of theſe miſerable Objects were many, and I know ſo many that periſh'd thus, and ſo exactly where, that I believe I could go to the very Place and dig their Bones up ſtill; for the Country People would go and dig a Hole at a Diſtance from them, and then with long Poles, and Hooks at the End of them, drag the Bodies into theſe Pits, and then thro’ the Earth in Form as far as they could caſt it to cover them; taking notice how the Wind blew, and ſo coming on that Side which the Seamen call to-Wind-ward, that the Scent of the Bodies might blow from them; and thus great Numbers went out of the World, who were never known or any Account of them taken, as well within the Bills of Mortality as without.

This indeed I had, in the main, only from the Relation of others; for I ſeldom walk’d into the Fields, except towards Bednal-green and Hackney; or as hereafter: But when I did walk I always ſaw a great many poor Wanderers at a Diſtance, but I could know little of their Caſes; for whether it were in the Street, or in the Fields, if we had ſeen any Body coming, it was a general Method to walk away; yet I believe the Account is exactly true.

As this puts me upon mentioning my walking the Streets and Fields, I cannot omit taking notice what a deſolate Place the City was at that Time: The great Street I liv’d in, which is known to be one of the broadeſt of all the Streets of London. I mean of the Suburbs as well as the