felves fo much with the Plague's going off, without reaching them, that they took no Care, either to fly into the Country, or fhut themselves up; nay, fo far were they from ftirring, that they rather receiv'd their Friends and Relations from the City into their Houfes; and feveral from other Places really took Sanctuary in that Part of the Town, as a Place of Safety, and as a Place which they thought God would pass over and not vifit as the reft was vifited.

And this was the Reafon, that when it came up on them they were more furprized, more unprovided and more at a Lofs what to do than they were in other Places, for when it came among them really, and with Violence, as it did indeed, in September and Olber, there was then no ftirring out into the Country, no Body would fuffer a Stranger to come near them, no nor near the Towns where they dwelt; and as I have been told, feveral that wandred into the Country on Surry Side were found ftarv'd to Death in the Woods and Commons, that Country being more open and more woody, than any other Part fo near London; efpecially about Norwood, and the Parishes of Camberwell, Dullege, and Lufum, where it feems no Body durft relieve the poor diftrefs'd People for fear of the Infection.

This Notion having, as I faid, prevailed with the People in that Part of the Town, was in Part the Occafion, as Ifid before, that they had Recourfe to Ships for their Retreat; and where they did this early, and with Prudence, furnishing themfelves fo with Provi fions, that they had no need to go on Shore for Supplies, or fufter Boats to come on Board to bring them; I fay where they did fo they had certainly the fafeft Retreat of any People whatfoever: But the Diftrefs was fuch, that People ran on Board in their Fright without Bread to eat, and fome into Ships, that had no Men on Board to remove them farther off, or to take the Boat and go down the River to buy Provifions where it might be done fafely; and

thefe

L

thefe often fuffered, and were infected on board as much as on Shore.

As the richer Sort got into Ships, fo the lower Rank got into Heys, Smacks, Lighters, and Fishing-boats; and many, efpecially Watermen, lay in their Boats; but thofe made fad Work of it, especially the latter, for going about for Provifion, and perhaps to get their Subfiftence, the Infection got in among them and made a fearful Havock; many of the Watermen died alone in their Wherries, as they rid at their Roads, as well above-Bridge as below, and were not found fometimes till they were not in Condition for any Body to touch

or come near them.

Indeed the Diftrefs of the People at this Sea-faring End of the Town was very deplorable, and deferved the greatest Commiferation: But alas! this was a a Time when every one's private Safety lay fo near them, that they had no Room to pity the Diftrelles of others; for every one had Death, as it were, at his Door, and many even in their Families, and knew not what to do, or whither to fly.

This, I fay, took away all Compaffion; felf Prefervation indeed appear'd here to be the firft Law. For the Children ran away from their Parents, as they lauguifhed in the utmost Distress: And in fome Places, tho' not fo frequent as the other, Parents did the like to their Children; nay, fome dreadful Examples there were, and particularly two in one Week of diftreffed Mothers, raveing and diftra&ted, killing their own Children; one whereof was not far off from where I dwelt; the poor lunatick Creature not living herself long enough to be fenfible of the Sin of what the had done, much lefs to be punish'd for it.

It is not indeed to be wondred at, for the Danger of immediate Death to ourfelves, took away all Bowels of Love, all Concern for one another: I fpeak in general, for there were many Inftances of immovable Affection, Pity, and Duty in many, and fome that came to my Knowledg; that is to fay, by here-fay: For I fhall not take upon me to youch the Truth of the Particulars.

K 3

Το

To introduce one, let me first mention, that one of the most deplorable Cafes, in all the prefent Calamity, was, that of Women with Child; who when they came to the Hour of their Sorrows, and their Pains came upon them, cou'd neither have help of one Kind or another; neither Midwife or Neigbouring Women to come near them; moft of the Midwives were dead; especially, of fuch as ferv'd the poor ; and many, if not all the Midwives of Note were fled into the Country: So that it was next to impoffible for a poor Woman that cou'd not pay an immoderate Price to get any Midwife to come to her, and if they did, thofe they cou'd get were generally unskilful and ignorant Creatures; and the Confequence of this was, that a moft unusual and incredible Number of Women were reduc'd to the utmoft diftrefs. Some were deliver'd and fpoil'd by the rafhnefs and ignorance of thofe who pretended to lay them. Children without Number, were, I might fay murthered by the fame, but a more juftifiable ignorance, pretending they would fave the Mother, whatever became of the Child; and many Times, both Mother and Child were loft in the fame Manner; and efpecially, where the Mother had the Diftemper, there no Body would come near them, and both fometimes perifh'd: Sometimes the Mother has died of the Plague; and the Infant, it may be half born, or born but not parted from the Mother. Some died in the very Pains of their Travel, and not deliver'd at all; and fo many were the Cafes of this Kind, that it is hard to Judge

of them.

Something of it will appear in the unufual Num" bers which are put into the Weekly Bills (tho' I am far from allowing them to be able to give any Thing of a full Account) under the Articles of

Child-Bed.

Abortive and Stilborn.
Chrifons and Infants.

Take

Take the Weeks in which the Plague was most violent, and compare them with the Weeks before the Diftemper began, even in the fame Year: For Example: Child bed. Abort. Stil-born.

To the Disparity of thefe Numbers, is to be confidered and allow'd for, that according to our usual Opinion, who were then upon the Spot, there were not one third of the People in the Town, during the Months of August and September, as were in the Months of January and February: In a Word, the ufual Number that used to die of these three Articles; and as I hear, did die of them the Year before, was thus:

S Child-bed. 1664 Abortive and Stil:born. 458

This inequallity, I fay, is exceedingly augmented, when the Numbers of People are confidered: I pretend not to make any exact Calculation of the Numbers of People, which were at this Time in the City; but I fhall make a probable Conjecture at that part by and by: What I have faid now, is to explain the mifery of thofe poor Creatures above; fo that it might well be faid as in the Scripture. Wo! be to those who are with Child; and to those which give fuck in that Day. For indeed, it was a Wo to them in particular.

I was not converfant in many particular Families where thefe things happen'd; but the Out cries of the miferable, were heard afar off. As to those who were with Child, we have feen fome Calculation made 291 Women dead in Child bed in nine Weeks; out of one third Part of the Number, of whom there ufually dy'd in that Time, but 48 of the fame Difafter. Let the Reader calculate the Proportion.

There is no Room to doubt, but the Mifery ofthofe that gave Suck, was in Proportion as great. Our Bills of Mortality cou'd give but little Light in this; yet, fome it did, there were feveral more than ufual itarv'd at Nurfe, But this was nothing: The Mifery was, where they were (1ft) ftarved for want of a Nurfe, the Mother dying, and all the Family and the Infants found dead by them, meerly for want; and if I may fpeak my Opinion, I do believe, that many hundreds of Poor helpless Infants perifh'd in this manper. (2dly) Not ftarved (but poifon'd) by the Nurfe, Nay even where the Mother has been Nurfe, and having receiv'd the Infection, has poifon'd, that is, infected the Infant with her Milk, even before they knew they were infected themfelves; nay, and the Infant has dy'd in fuch a Cafe before the Mother. I cannot but remember to leave this Admonition upon Record, if ever fuch another dreadful Visitation fhould happen in this City;that all Women that are withChild or that give Suck thould be gone, if they have any po