第 3 节
作者:雨来不躲      更新:2021-10-16 18:43      字数:9321
  plague was coming on to its highest pitch; it was very ordinary to have
  from a thousand to twelve hundred; nay; to almost fifteen hundred a
  week of other distempers。  Not that the numbers of those distempers
  were really increased to such a degree; but the great number of
  families and houses where really the infection was; obtained the
  favour to have their dead be returned of other distempers; to prevent
  the shutting up their houses。  For example: …
  Dead of other diseases beside the plague …
  From the 18th July  to  the 25th                     942
  〃        25th July       〃  1st August              1004
  〃         1st August     〃  8th                     1213
  〃         8th            〃 15th                     1439
  〃        15th            〃 22nd                     1331
  〃        22nd            〃 29th                     1394
  〃        29th            〃  5th September           1264
  〃         5th September to the 12th                 1056
  〃        12th            〃 19th                     1132
  〃        19th            〃 26th                      927
  Now it was not doubted but the greatest part of these; or a great part
  of them; were dead of the plague; but the officers were prevailed with
  to return them as above; and the numbers of some particular articles
  of distempers discovered is as follows: …
  Aug。    Aug。    Aug。    Aug。    Aug。    Sept。  Sept。   Sept。
  1       8       15      22     29        5     12      19
  to 8   to 15   to 22   to 29 to Sept。5  to 12  to 19   to 26
  Fever     314     353     348     383     364     332     309     268
  Spotted   174     190     166     165     157      97     101      65
  Fever
  Surfeit    85      87      74      99      68      45      49      36
  Teeth      90     113     111     133     138     128     121     112
  …
  663     743     699     780     727     602     580     481
  There were several other articles which bore a proportion to these;
  and which; it is easy to perceive; were increased on the same account;
  as aged; consumptions; vomitings; imposthumes; gripes; and the like;
  many of which were not doubted to be infected people; but as it was
  of the utmost consequence to families not to be known to be infected;
  if it was possible to avoid it; so they took all the measures they could
  to have it not believed; and if any died in their houses; to get them
  returned to the examiners; and by the searchers; as having died of
  other distempers。
  This; I say; will account for the long interval which; as I have said;
  was between the dying of the first persons that were returned in the
  bill to be dead of the plague and the time when the distemper spread
  openly and could not be concealed。
  Besides; the weekly bills themselves at that time evidently discover
  the truth; for; while there was no mention of the plague; and no
  increase after it had been mentioned; yet it was apparent that there
  was an increase of those distempers which bordered nearest upon it;
  for example; there were eight; twelve; seventeen of the spotted fever
  in a week; when there were none; or but very few; of the plague;
  whereas before; one; three; or four were the ordinary weekly numbers
  of that distemper。  Likewise; as I observed before; the burials
  increased weekly in that particular parish and the parishes adjacent
  more than in any other parish; although there were none set down of
  the plague; all which tells us; that the infection was handed on; and
  the succession of the distemper really preserved; though it seemed to
  us at that time to be ceased; and to come again in a manner surprising。
  It might be; also; that the infection might remain in other parts of
  the same parcel of goods which at first it came in; and which might
  not be perhaps opened; or at least not fully; or in the clothes of the
  first infected person; for I cannot think that anybody could be seized
  with the contagion in a fatal and mortal degree for nine weeks
  together; and support his state of health so well as even not to
  discover it to themselves; yet if it were so; the argument is the
  stronger in favour of what I am saying: namely; that the infection is
  retained in bodies apparently well; and conveyed from them to those
  they converse with; while it is known to neither the one nor the other。
  Great were the confusions at that time upon this very account; and
  when people began to be convinced that the infection was received in
  this surprising manner from persons apparently well; they began to be
  exceeding shy and jealous of every one that came near them。  Once;
  on a public day; whether a Sabbath…day or not I do not remember; in
  Aldgate Church; in a pew full of people; on a sudden one fancied she
  smelt an ill smell。  Immediately she fancies the plague was in the pew;
  whispers her notion or suspicion to the next; then rises and goes out of
  the pew。  It immediately took with the next; and so to them all; and
  every one of them; and of the two or three adjoining pews; got up and
  went out of the church; nobody knowing what it was offended them;
  or from whom。
  This immediately filled everybody's mouths with one preparation or
  other; such as the old woman directed; and some perhaps as
  physicians directed; in order to prevent infection by the breath of
  others; insomuch that if we came to go into a church when it was
  anything full of people; there would be such a mixture of smells at the
  entrance that it was much more strong; though perhaps not so
  wholesome; than if you were going into an apothecary's or druggist's
  shop。  In a word; the whole church was like a smelling…bottle; in one
  corner it was all perfumes; in another; aromatics; balsamics; and
  variety of drugs and herbs; in another; salts and spirits; as every one
  was furnished for their own preservation。  Yet I observed that after
  people were possessed; as I have said; with the belief; or rather
  assurance; of the infection being thus carried on by persons apparently
  in health; the churches and meeting…houses were much thinner of
  people than at other times before that they used to be。  For this is to be
  said of the people of London; that during the whole time of the
  pestilence the churches or meetings were never wholly shut up; nor
  did the people decline coming out to the public worship of God;
  except only in some parishes when the violence of the distemper was
  more particularly in that parish at that time; and even then no longer
  than it continued to be so。
  Indeed nothing was more strange than to see with what courage the
  people went to the public service of God; even at that time when they
  were afraid to stir out of their own houses upon any other occasion;
  this; I mean; before the time of desperation; which I have mentioned
  already。  This was a proof of the exceeding populousness of the city at
  the time of the infection; notwithstanding the great numbers that were
  gone into the country at the first alarm; and that fled out into the
  forests and woods when they were further terrified with the
  extraordinary increase of it。  For when we came to see the crowds and
  throngs of people which appeared on the Sabbath…days at the
  churches; and especially in those parts of the town where the plague
  was abated; or where it was not yet come to its height; it was amazing。
  But of this I shall speak again presently。  I return in the meantime to
  the article of infecting one another at first; before people came to right
  notions of the infection; and of infecting one another。  People were
  only shy of those that were really sick; a man with a cap upon his
  head; or with clothes round his neck; which was the case of those that
  had swellings there。  Such was indeed frightful; but when we saw a
  gentleman dressed; with his band on and his gloves in his hand; his
  hat upon his head; and his hair combed; of such we bad not the least
  apprehensions; and people conversed a great while freely; especially
  with their neighbours and such as they knew。  But when the
  physicians assured us that the danger was as well from the sound (that
  is; the seemingly sound) as the sick; and that those people who
  thought themselves entirely free were oftentimes the most fatal; and
  that it came to be generally understood that people were sensible of it;
  and of the reason of it; then; I say; they began to be jealous of
  everybody; and a vast number of people locked themselves up; so as
  not to come abroad into any company at all; nor suffer any that had
  been abroad in promiscuous company to come into their houses; or
  near them … at least not so near them as to be within the reach of their
  breath or of any smell from them; and when they were obliged to
  converse at a distance with strangers; they would always have
  preservatives in their mouths and about their clothes to repel and keep
  off the infection。