Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/77

 the moſt innocent Corruption, or Bribery, that any Man could be guilty of; and therefore could not but pity the poor Men, and think it was hard when three of thoſe Watchmen, were publickly whipt thro' the Streets, for ſuffering People to go out of Houſes ſhut up.

But notwithſtanding that Severity, Money prevail'd with the poor Men, and many Families found Means to make Salleys out, and eſcape that way after they had been ſhut up; but theſe were generally ſuch as had ſome Places to retreat to; and tho' there was no eaſie paſſing the Roads any whither, after the firſt of Augſt, yet there were many Ways of retreat, and particularly, as I hinted, ſome got Tents and ſet them up in the Fields, carrying Beds, or Straw to lie on, and Proviſions to eat, and ſo liv'd in them as Hermits in a Cell; for no Body would venture to come near them; and ſeveral Stories were told of ſuch; ſome comical, ſome tragical, ſome who liv'd like wandring Pilgrims in the Deſarts, and eſcaped by making themſelves Exiles in ſuch a Manner as is ſcarce to be credited, and who yet enjoyed more Liberty than was to be expected in ſuch Caſes.

I have by me a Story of two Brothers and their Kinſman, who being ſingle Men, but that had ſtay'd in the City too long to get away, and indeed, not knowing where to go to have any Retreat, nor having wherewith to travel far, took a Courſe for their own Preſervation, which, tho' in it ſelf at firſt, deſperate, yet was ſo natural, that it may be wondred, that no more did ſo at that Time. They were but of mean Condition, and yet not ſo very poor, as that they could not furniſh themſelves with ſome little Conveniencies, ſuch as might ſerve to keep Life and Soul together; and finding the Diſtemper increaſing in