Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/93

 This is one of the Reaſons why I believed them, and do believe ſtill, that the ſhutting up Houſes thus by Force, and reſtraining, or rather impriſoning People in their own Houſes, as is ſaid above, was of little or no Service in the Whole; nay, I am of Opinion, it was rather hurtful, having forc’d thoſe deſperate People to wander abroad with the Plague upon them, who would otherwiſe have died quietly in their Beds.

I remember one Citizen, who having thus broken out of his Houſe in Alderſgate-Street, or thereabout, went along the Road to Iſlington, he attempted to have gone in at the Angel-Inn, and after that, at the White-Horſe, two Inns known ſtill by the ſame Signs, but was refuſed; after which he came to the Pyed-Bull, an Inn alſo ſtill continuing the ſame Sign; he asked them for Lodging for one Night only, pretending to be going into Lincolnſhire, and aſſuring them of his being very ſound, and free from the Infection, which alſo, at that Time, had not reached much that Way.

They told him they had no Lodging that they could ſpare, but one Bed, up in the Garret, and that they could ſpare that Bed but for one Night, ſome Drovers being expected the next Day with Cattle; ſo, if he would accept of that Lodging, he might have it, which he did; ſo a Servant was ſent up with a Candle with him, to ſhew him the Room; he was very well dreſs’d, and look’d like a Perſon not uſed to lie in a Garret, and when he came to the Room he fech’d a deep Sigh, and ſaid to the Servant, I have ſeldom lain in ſuch a Lodging as this; however the Servant aſſuring him again, that they had no better. Well, ſays he, I muſt make ſhift; this is a dreadful Time, but it is but for one Night; ſo he ſat down upon the Bedſide, and bad the maid, I think it was, fetch him up a Pint of warm Ale; accordingly the Servant went for the Ale; but ſome Hurry in the Houſe, which perhaps, employed her otherways, put it out of her Head; and ſhe went up no more to him.