Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/147

 the Eye, and the Ear; even in paſſing along the Streets, as I have hinted above, nor is it eaſy to give any Story of this, or that Family, which there was not divers parallel Stories to met with of the fame Kind,

But as I am now talking of the Time, when the Plague rag’d at the Eaſter-moſt Part of the Town; how for a long Time the People of thoſe Parts had flattered themſelves that they ſhould eſcape; and how they were ſurprized, when it came upon them as it did; for indeed, it came upon them like an armed Man, when it did come, I ſay, this brings me back to the three poor Men, who wandered from Wapping, not knowing whether to go, or what to do, and who I mention’d before; one a Biſcuit-Baker, one a Sail-Maker, and the other a Joiner; all of Wapping, or thereabouts.

The Sleepineſs and Security of that Part as I have obſerv’d, was ſuch; that they not only did not ſhift for themſelves as others did; but they boaſted of being ſafe, and of Safety being with them; and many People fled out of the City, and out of the infected Suburbs, to Wapping, Ratcliff, Lime-houſe, Poplar, and ſuch Places, as to Places of Security; and it is not at all unlikely, that their doing this, help’d to bring the Plague that way faſter, than it might otherwiſe have come. For tho’ I am much for Peoples flying away and emptying ſuch a Town as this, upon the firſt Appearance of a like Viſitation, and that all People that have any poſſible Retreat, ſhould make uſe of it in Time, and begone; yet, I muſt ſay, when all that will fly are gone, thoſe that are left and muſt ſtand it, ſhould ſtand ſtock ſtill where they are, and not shift from one End of the Town, or one Part of the Town to the other; for that is the Bane and Miſchief of the whole, and they carry the Plague from Houſe to Houſe in their very Clothes.

Wherefore, were we ordered to kill all the Dogs and Cats: But becauſe as they were domeſtick