Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/224

 So that in ſhort there died more that Week in the two Pariſhes of Cripplegate and St. Sepulchers by 48 than in all the City, and all the Eaſt Suburbs, and all the Southwark Pariſhes put together: This cauſed the Reputation of the City’s Health to continue all over England, and eſpecially in the Counties and Markets adjacent, from whence our Supply of Proviſions chiefly came, even much longer than that Health it ſelf continued; for when the People came into the Streets from the Country, by Shoreditch and Biſhopſgate, or by Oldſtreet and Smithfield, they would ſee the out Streets empty, and the Houſes and Shops ſhut, and the few People that were ſtirring there walk in the Middle of the Streets; but when they came within the City, there things look’d better, and the Markets and Shops were open, and the People walking about the Streets as uſual, tho’ not quite ſo many; and this continued till the latter End of Auguſt, and the Beginning of September.

But then the Caſe alter’d quite, the Diſtemper abated in the Weſt and North-Weſt Pariſhes, and the Weight of the Infecttion lay on the City and the Eaſtern Suburbs and the Southwark Side, and this in a frightful manner. Then indeed the City began to look diſmal, Shops to be ſhut, and the Streets deſolate; in the High-Street indeed Neceſſity made People ſtir abroad on many Occaſions; and there would be in the middle of the Day a pretty many People, but in the Mornings and Evenings ſcarce any to be ſeen, even there, no not in Cornhill and Cheapſide.

Theſe Obſervations of mine were abundantly confirm’d by the Weekly Bills of Mortality for thoſe Weeks, an Abſtract of which, as they reſpect the Pariſhes which I have mention’d, and as they make the Calculations I ſpeak of very evident, take as follows.

The Weekly Bill, which makes out this Decreaſe of the Burials in the Weſt and North ſide of the City, ſtand thus.