Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/99

 and ſorely I repented of my Raſhneſs: When I had been out, and met with ſuch terrible Things as theſe I have talked of; I ſay, I repented my Raſhneſs in venturing to abide in Town: I wiſh’d often, that I had not taken upon me to ſtay, but had gone away with my Brother and his Family. Terrified by thoſe frightful Objects, I would retire Home ſometimes, and reſolve to go out no more, and perhaps, I would keep thoſe Reſolutions for three or four Days, which Time I ſpent in the moſt ſerious Thankfulneſs for my Preſervation, and the Preſervation of my Family, and the conſtant Confeſſion of my Sins, giving my ſelf up to God every Day, and applying to him with Faſting, Humiliation, and Meditation: Such intervals as I had, I employed in reading Books, and in writing down my Memorandums of what occurred to me every Day, and out of which, afterwards, I for moſt of this Work as it relates to my Obſervations without Doors: What I wrote of my private Meditations I reſerve for private life, and deſire it may not be made publick on any Account whatever.

I alſo wrote other Meditations upon Divine Subjects, ſuch as occurred to me at that Time, and were profitable to my ſelf, but not fit for any other View, and therefore I ſay no more of that.

I had a very good Friend, a Phyſician, whoſe Name was Heath, who I frequently viſited during this diſmal Time, and to whoſe Advice I was very much oblig’d for many Things which he directed me to take, by way of preventing the Infection when I went out, as he found I frequently did, and to hold in my Mouth when I was in the Streets; he alſo came very often to ſee me, and as he was a good Chriſtian, as well as a good Phyſician, his agreeable Converſation was a very great Support to me in the worſt of this terrible Time. It was now the Beginning of Auguſt, and the Plague grew very violent and terrible in the Place