Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/208

 were touch’d, whereof one dy’d the ſame Evening, and the other two on Wedneſday: In a Word, by Saturday at Noon, the Maſter, Miſtreſs, four Children and four Servants were all gone, and the Houſe left entirely empty, except an ancient Woman, who came in to take Charge of the Goods for the Maſter of the Family’s Brother, who liv’d not far off, and who had not been ſick.

Many Houſes were then left deſolate, all the People being carry’d away dead, and eſpecially in an Alley farther, on the ſame Side beyond the Barrs, going in at the Sign of Moſes and Aaron; there were ſeveral Houſes together, which (they ſaid) had not one Perſon left alive in them, and ſome that dy’d laſt in ſeveral of thoſe Houſes, were left a little too long before they were fetch’d out to be bury’d; the Reaſon of which was not as ſome have written very untruly, that the living were not ſufficient to bury the dead; but that the Mortality was ſo great in the Yard or Alley, that there was no Body left to give Notice to the Buriers or Sextons, that there were any dead Bodies there to be bury’d. It was ſaid, how true I know not, that ſome of thoſe Bodies were ſo much corrupted, and ſo rotten, that it was with Difficulty they were carry’d; and as the Carts could not come any nearer than to the Alley-Gate in the high Street, it was ſo much the more difficult to bring them along; but I am not certain how many Bodies were then left, I am ſure that ordinarily it was not ſo. As I have mention’d how the People were brought into a Condition to deſpair of Life and abandon themſelves, ſo this very Thing had a ſtrange Effect among us for three or four Weeks, that is, it made them bold and venturous, they were no more ſhy of one another, or reſtrained within Doors, but went any where and every where, and began to converſe; one would fay to another, I do not ask you how you are, or ſay how I am, it is certain we ſhall all go,