第 2 节
作者:溜溜      更新:2021-02-25 00:27      字数:9322
  furnished with straw within for their lodging; and that they lay thus all
  along by the shore in the marshes; some of them setting up little tents
  with their sails; and so lying under them on shore in the day; and
  going into their boats at night; and in this manner; as I have heard; the
  river…sides were lined with boats and people as long as they had
  anything to subsist on; or could get anything of the country; and
  indeed the country people; as well Gentlemen as others; on these and
  all other occasions; were very forward to relieve them … but they were
  by no means willing to receive them into their towns and houses; and
  for that we cannot blame them。
  There was one unhappy citizen within my knowledge who had been
  visited in a dreadful manner; so that his wife and all his children were
  dead; and himself and two servants only left; with an elderly woman;
  a near relation; who had nursed those that were dead as well as she
  could。  This disconsolate man goes to a village near the town; though
  not within the bills of mortality; and finding an empty house there;
  inquires out the owner; and took the house。  After a few days he got a
  cart and loaded it with goods; and carries them down to the house; the
  people of the village opposed his driving the cart along; but with some
  arguings and some force; the men that drove the cart along got
  through the street up to the door of the house。  There the constable
  resisted them again; and would not let them be brought in。 The man
  caused the goods to be unloaden and laid at the door; and sent the cart
  away; upon which they carried the man before a justice of peace; that
  is to say; they commanded him to go; which he did。  The justice
  ordered him to cause the cart to fetch away the goods again; which he
  refused to do; upon which the justice ordered the constable to pursue
  the carters and fetch them back; and make them reload the goods and
  carry them away; or to set them in the stocks till they came for further
  orders; and if they could not find them; nor the man would not
  consent to take them away; they should cause them to be drawn with
  hooks from the house…door and burned in the street。  The poor
  distressed man upon this fetched the goods again; but with grievous
  cries and lamentations at the hardship of his case。  But there was no
  remedy; self…preservation obliged the people to those severities which
  they would not otherwise have been concerned in。  Whether this poor
  man lived or died I cannot tell; but it was reported that he had the
  plague upon him at that time; and perhaps the people might report that
  to justify their usage of him; but it was not unlikely that either he or
  his goods; or both; were dangerous; when his whole family had been
  dead of the distempers so little a while before。
  I know that the inhabitants of the towns adjacent to London were
  much blamed for cruelty to the poor people that ran from the
  contagion in their distress; and many very severe things were done; as
  may be seen from what has been said; but I cannot but say also that;
  where there was room for charity and assistance to the people; without
  apparent danger to themselves; they were
  willing enough to help and relieve them。  But as every town were
  indeed judges in their own case; so the poor people who ran abroad in
  their extremities were often ill…used and driven back again into the
  town; and this caused infinite exclamations and outcries against the
  country towns; and made the clamour very popular。
  And yet; more or less; maugre all the caution; there was not a town
  of any note within ten (or; I believe; twenty) miles of the city but what
  was more or less infected and had some died among them。  I have
  heard the accounts of several; such as they were reckoned up; as follows: …
  In Enfield           32          In Uxbridge        117
  〃  Hornsey           58               〃  Hertford    90
  〃  Newington         17          〃  Ware            160
  〃  Tottenham         42          〃  Hodsdon          30
  〃  Edmonton          19          〃  Waltham Abbey    23
  〃  Barnet and Hadly  19          〃  Epping           26
  〃  St Albans        121          〃  Deptford        623
  〃  Watford           45          〃  Greenwich       231
  〃  Eltham and Lusum  85          〃  Kingston        122
  〃  Croydon           61          〃  Stanes           82
  〃  Brentwood         70          〃  Chertsey         18
  〃  Rumford          109          〃  Windsor         103
  〃  Barking Abbot    200
  〃  Brentford        432                       Cum aliis。
  Another thing might render the country more strict with respect to
  the citizens; and especially with respect to the poor; and this was what
  I hinted at before: namely; that there was a seeming propensity or a
  wicked inclination in those that were infected to infect others。
  There have been great debates among our physicians as to the
  reason of this。  Some will have it to be in the nature of the disease;
  and that it impresses every one that is seized upon by it with a kind of
  a rage; and a hatred against their own kind … as if there was a
  malignity not only in the distemper to communicate itself; but in the
  very nature of man; prompting him with evil will or
  an evil eye; that; as they say in the case of a mad dog; who though the
  gentlest creature before of any of his kind; yet then will fly upon and
  bite any one that comes next him; and those as soon as any who had
  been most observed by him before。
  Others placed it to the account of the corruption of human nature;
  who cannot bear to see itself more miserable than others of its own
  species; and has a kind of involuntary wish that all men were as
  unhappy or in as bad a condition as itself。
  Others say it was only a kind of desperation; not knowing or
  regarding what they did; and consequently unconcerned at the danger
  or safety not only of anybody near them; but even of themselves also。
  And indeed; when men are once come to a condition to abandon
  themselves; and be unconcerned for the safety or at the danger of
  themselves; it cannot be so much wondered that they should be
  careless of the safety of other people。
  But I choose to give this grave debate a quite different turn; and
  answer it or resolve it all by saying that I do not grant the fact。  On the
  contrary; I say that the thing is not really so; but that it was a general
  complaint raised by the people inhabiting the outlying villages against
  the citizens to justify; or at least excuse; those hardships and severities
  so much talked of; and in which complaints both sides may be said to
  have injured one another; that is to say; the citizens pressing to be
  received and harboured in time of distress; and with the plague upon
  them; complain of the cruelty and injustice of the country people in
  being refused entrance and forced back again with their goods and
  families; and the inhabitants; finding themselves so imposed upon;
  and the citizens breaking in as it were upon them whether they would
  or no; complain that when they were infected they were not only
  regardless of others; but even willing to infect them; neither of which
  were really true … that is to say; in the colours they were described in。
  It is true there is something to be said for the frequent alarms which
  were given to the country of the resolution of the people of London to
  come out by force; not only for relief; but to plunder and rob; that they
  ran about the streets with the distemper upon them without any
  control; and that no care was taken to shut up houses; and confine the
  sick people from infecting others; whereas; to do the Londoners
  justice; they never practised such things; except in such particular
  cases as I have mentioned above; and such like。  On the other hand;
  everything was managed with so much care; and such excellent order
  was observed in the whole city and suburbs by the care of the Lord
  Mayor and aldermen and by the justices of the peace; church…wardens;
  &c。; in the outparts; that London may be a pattern to all the cities in
  the world for the good government and the excellent order that was
  everywhere kept; even in the time of the most violent infection; and
  when the people were in the utmost consternation and distress。  But of
  this I shall speak by itself。
  One thing; it is to be observed; was owing principally to the
  prudence of the magistrates; and ought to be mentioned to their
  honour: viz。; the moderation which they used in the great and difficult
  work of shutting up of houses。  It is true; as I have mentioned; that the
  shutting up of houses was a great subject of discontent; and I may say
  indeed the only subject of discontent among the people at that time;
  for the confining the sound in the same house with the sick was
  counted very terrible; and the complaints of people so confined were
  very grievous。  They were heard into the very