Page:Lives of British Physicians.djvu/121

 SYDENHAM. 103 infection, that it had been cut off the heads of people dead of the plague. My Lord Brouncker, Sir J. Minnes, and I, up to the vestry at the desire of the justices of the peace, in order to the doing- something for the keeping of the plague from growing ; but Lord ! to consider the madness of people of this town, who will (because they are forbid) come in crowds along with the dead corpses to see them buried ; but we agreed on some orders for the prevention thereof." Even so early as June 24, their majesties re- moved from Whitehall to Hampton Court ; on the following month, on the 29th July, the court re- moved again and went to reside some time at Salis- bury ; but that city being soon infected, the king chose his residence at Oxford. Every body, in short, who was enabled to escape, sought the country ; and it is related, that though all the people did not go out of London, yet all the horses did ; there was hardly one to be bought or hired in the whole city, for some weeks : many persons travelled on foot, and, to prevent lying at inns, carried soldiers' tents with them and lay in the fields : the weather being warm, there was no danger of taking cold — " the poor fugitives car- ried beds or straw to lie upon, and provisions to eat, living as hermits in cells, for none would venture to come near them." They carried the infection with them into the country, and it spread, towards the end of this and the following year, over a great part of England. It gradually abated in the metropolis ; but it was not till Nov. 20, 1666, that public thanksgivings were offered up to God for assuaging the late contagion and pestilence,