Clerkenwell, adjoining on the other side of Hofborn; in both which parishes the usual numbers that died weekly, were from 4 to 6 or 8, whereas at that time they were increased, as follows :— From Dec. 20 to Dec. 27. St. Bride's 0 Jan. 3 to Jan. 10. St. Bride's 11 Jan. 10 to Jan. 17. St. Bride's 12 Jan. 17 to Jan. 24. St. Bride's 9 Jan. 24 to Jan. 31. St. Bride's Jan. 31 to Feb. 7. St. Bride's 13 St. James's 5 Feb. 7 to Feb. 14. St. Bride's 12 St. James's 6 Besides this, it was observed with great uneasiness by the people, that the weekly bills in general increased very much during these weeks, although it was at a time of the year when usually the bills are very moderate. The usual number of burials within the bills of mortality for a week, was from about 240 or thereabouts, to 300. The last was esteemed a pretty high bill; but after this we found the bills successively increasing, as follows: This last bill was really frightful, being a higher number than had been known to have been buried in one week, since the preceding visitation of 1656. However, all this went off again, and the weather proving cold, and the frost which began in December, still continuing very severe, even till near the end of February, attended with sharp though moderate winds, the bills decreased again, and the city grew healthy, and every body began to look upon the danger as good as over; only that still the burials in St. Giles's continued high: from the beginning of April especially, they stood at 25 each week, till the week from the 18th to the 25th, when there was buried in St. Giles's parish 30, whereof two of the Plague, and eight of the spotted fever, which was looked upon as the same thing; likewise the number that died of the spotted fever in the whole increased, being eight the week before, and 12 the week abovenamed. This alarmed us all again, and terrible apprehensions were among the people, especially the weather being now changed and growing warm, and the summer being at hand: however, the next week there seemed to be some hopes again, the bills were low, the number of the dead in all was but 388, there was none of the plague, and but four of the spotted fever. But the following week it returned again, and the distemper was spread into two or three other parishes, viz. St. Andrew's, Holborn, St. Clement's-Danes, and to the great affliction of the city, one died within the walls, in the parish of St. Mary Wool-church, that is to say, in Bearbinder-lane, near Stocks-market; in all there were nine of the plague, and six of the spotted fever. It was, however, upon inquiry found, that this Frenchman, who died in Bearbinderlane, was one who, having lived in Long-acre, near the infected houses, had removed for fear of the distemper, not knowing that he was already infected. This was the beginning of May, yet the weather was temperate, variable, and cool enough, and people had still some hopes that which encouraged them was, that the city was healthy, the whole 97 parishes buried but 54, and we began to hope, that as it was chiefly among the people at that end of the town, it might go no farther; and the rather, because the next week which was from the 9th of May to the 16th, there died but three, of which not one within the whole city or liberties, and St. Andrew's buried but 15, which was very low: it is true, St. Giles's buried 32, but still as there was but one of the Plague, people began to be easy; the whole bill also was very low, for the week before, the bill was but 347, and the week above-mentioned but 343: we continued in these hopes for a few days; but it was but for a few, for the people were no more to be deceived thus; they searched the houses, and found that the plague was really spread every way, and that many died of it every day; so that now all our extenuations abated, and it was no more to be concealed, nay it quickly appeared that the infection had spread itself beyond all hopes of abatement: that in the parish of St. Giles's, it was gotten into several streets, and several families lay all sick together; and, accordingly, in the weekly bill for the next week, the thing began to shew itself; there was indeed but 14 set down of the Plague, but this was all knavery and collusion, for St. Giles's parish they buried 40 in all, whereof it was certain most of them died of the Plague, though they were set down of other distempers; and though the number of all the burials were not increasad above 32, and the whole bill being but 385, yet there was 14 of the spotted fever, as well as 14 of the Plague and we took it for granted upon the whole, that there were 50 died that week of the Plague. The next bill was from the 23d of May to the 30th, when the number of the Plague was 17: but the burials in St. Giles's were 53, a frightful number! of whom they set down but nine of the plague but on an examination more strictly by the justices of the peace, and at the lord mayor's request, it was found there were 20 more, who were really dead of the Plague in that parish, but had been set down of the spotted fever or other distempers, besides others concealed. But those were trifling things to what followed immediately after; for now the weather set in hot, and from the first week in June, the infection spread in a dreadful manner, and the bills rose high, the articles of the fever, spotted fever, and teeth, began to swell: for all that could conceal their distempers, did it to prevent their neighbours shunning and refusing to converse with them; and also to prevent authority shutting up their houses, which though it was not yet practised, yet was threatened, and people were extremely terrified at the thoughts of it. The second week in June, the parish of St. Giles's, where still the weight of the infection lay, buried 120, whereof though the bills said but 68 of the Plague, every body said there had been 100 at least, calculating it from the usual number of funerals in that parish as above. Till this week the city continued free, there having never any died except that one Frenchman, who I mentioned before, within the whole 97 parishes. Now there died four within the city, one in Wood street, one in Fenchurch street, and two in Crooked-lane: Southwark was entirely free, having not one yet died on that side of the water. I lived without Aldgate, about mid-way between Aldgate church and Whitechapel-bars, on the left hand or north side of the street; and as the distemper had not reached to that side of the city, our neighbourhood continued very easy: but at the other end of the town, their consternation was very great; and the richer sort of people, especially the nobility and gentry, from the west part of the city, thronged out of town, with their families and servants, in an unusual manner; and this was more particularly seen in Whitechapel; that is to say, the broad street where I lived: indeed nothing was to be seen but waggons and carts, with goods, women, servants, children, &c. coaches filled with people of the better sort, and horsemen attending them, and all hurrying away; then empty waggons and carts appeared, and spare horses with servants, who it was apparent were returning or sent from the country to fetch more people besides innumerable numbers of men on harseback, some alone, others with servants, and generally speaking, all loaded with baggage and fitted out for travelling, as any one might perceive by their appearance. This was a very terrible and melancholy thing to see, and as it was a sight which I could not but look on from morning to night, for indeed there was nothing else of moment to be seen, it filled me with very serious thoughts of the misery that |