thirds；　if　above　one…half；　of　the　consumption　of　provisions　in　the　city
  as　used　to　be。
  It　pleased　God　to　send　a　very　plentiful　year　of　corn　and　fruit；　but　not
  of　hay　or　grass　…　by　which　means　bread　was　cheap；　by　reason　of　the
  plenty　of　corn。　　Flesh　was　cheap；　by　reason　of　the　scarcity　of　grass；
  but　butter　and　cheese　were　dear　for　the　same　reason；　and　hay　in　the
  market　just　beyond　Whitechappel　Bars　was　sold　at　4　pound　per　load。
  But　that　affected　not　the　poor。　　There　was　a　most　excessive　plenty
  of　all　sorts　of　fruit；　such　as　apples；　pears；　plums；　cherries；　grapes；
  and　they　were　the　cheaper　because　of　the　want　of　people；　but　this
  made　the　poor　eat　them　to　excess；　and　this　brought　them　into　fluxes；
  griping　of　the　guts；　surfeits；　and　the　like；　which　often　precipitated
  them　into　the　plague。
  But　to　come　to　matters　of　trade。　　First；　foreign　exportation　being
  stopped　or　at　least　very　much　interrupted　and　rendered　difficult；　a
  general　stop　of　all　those　manufactures　followed　of　course　which　were
  usually　brought　for　exportation；　and　though　sometimes　merchants
  abroad　were　importunate　for　goods；　yet　little　was　sent；　the　passages
  being　so　generally　stopped　that　the　English　ships　would　not　be
  admitted；　as　is　said　already；　into　their　port。
  This　put　a　stop　to　the　manufactures　that　were　for　exportation　in　most
  parts　of　England；　except　in　some　out…ports；　and　even　that　was　soon
  stopped；　for　they　all　had　the　plague　in　their　turn。　　But　though　this　was
  felt　all　over　England；　yet；　what　was　still　worse；　all　intercourse　of　trade
  for　home　consumption　of　manufactures；　especially　those　which
  usually　circulated　through　the　Londoner's　hands；　was　stopped　at　once；
  the　trade　of　the　city　being　stopped。
  All　kinds　of　handicrafts　in　the　city；　&c。；　tradesmen　and　mechanics；
  were；　as　I　have　said　before；　out　of　employ；　and　this　occasioned　the
  putting…off　and　dismissing　an　innumerable　number　of　journeymen　and
  workmen　of　all　sorts；　seeing　nothing　was　done　relating　to　such　trades
  but　what　might　be　said　to　be　absolutely　necessary。
  This　caused　the　multitude　of　single　people　in　London　to　be
  unprovided　for；　as　also　families　whose　living　depended　upon　the
  labour　of　the　heads　of　those　families；　I　say；　this　reduced　them　to
  extreme　misery；　and　I　must　confess　it　is　for　the　honour　of　the　city　of
  London；　and　will　be　for　many　ages；　as　long　as　this　is　to　be　spoken　of；
  that　they　were　able　to　supply　with　charitable　provision　the　wants　of　so
  many　thousands　of　those　as　afterwards　fell　sick　and　were　distressed：
  so　that　it　may　be　safely　averred　that　nobody　perished　for　want；　at　least
  that　the　magistrates　had　any　notice　given　them　of。
  This　stagnation　of　our　manufacturing　trade　in　the　country　would
  have　put　the　people　there　to　much　greater　difficulties；　but　that　the
  master…workmen；　clothiers　and　others；　to　the　uttermost　of　their　stocks
  and　strength；　kept　on　making　their　goods　to　keep　the　poor　at　work；
  believing　that　soon　as　the　sickness　should　abate　they　would　have　a
  quick　demand　in　proportion　to　the　decay　of　their　trade　at　that　time。
  But　as　none　but　those　masters　that　were　rich　could　do　thus；　and　that
  many　were　poor　and　not　able；　the　manufacturing　trade　in　England
  suffered　greatly；　and　the　poor　were　pinched　all　over　England　by　the
  calamity　of　the　city　of　London　only。
  It　is　true　that　the　next　year　made　them　full　amends　by　another
  terrible　calamity　upon　the　city；　so　that　the　city　by　one　calamity
  impoverished　and　weakened　the　country；　and　by　another　calamity；
  even　terrible　too　of　its　kind；　enriched　the　country　and　made　them
  again　amends；　for　an　infinite　quantity　of　household　Stuff；　wearing
  apparel；　and　other　things；　besides　whole　warehouses　filled　with
  merchandise　and　manufactures　such　as　come　from　all　parts　of
  England；　were　consumed　in　the　fire　of　London　the　next　year　after　this
  terrible　visitation。　　It　is　incredible　what　a　trade　this　made　all　over　the
  whole　kingdom；　to　make　good　the　want　and　to　supply　that　loss；　so
  that；　in　short；　all　the　manufacturing　hands　in　the　nation　were　set　on
  work；　and　were　little　enough　for　several　years　to　supply　the　market
  and　answer　the　demands。　　All　foreign　markets　also　were　empty　of　our
  goods　by　the　stop　which　had　been　occasioned　by　the　plague；　and
  before　an　open　trade　was　allowed　again；　and　the　prodigious　demand　at
  home　falling　in；　joined　to　make　a　quick　vent　for　all　sort　of　goods；　so
  that　there　never　was　known　such　a　trade　all　over　England　for　the　time
  as　was　in　the　first　seven　years　after　the　plague；　and　after　the
  fire　of　London。
  It　remains　now　that　I　should　say　something　of　the　merciful　part　of
  this　terrible　judgement。　　The　last　week　in　September；　the　plague　being
  come　to　its　crisis；　its　fury　began　to　assuage。　　I　remember　my　friend　Dr
  Heath；　coming　to　see　me　the　week　before；　told　me　he　was　sure　that　the
  violence　of　it　would　assuage　in　a　few　days；　but　when　I　saw　the　weekly
  bill　of　that　week；　which　was　the　highest　of　the　whole　year；　being　8297
  of　all　diseases；　I　upbraided　him　with　it；　and　asked　him　what　he　had
  made　his　judgement　from。　　His　answer；　however；　was　not　so　much　to
  seek　as　I　thought　it　would　have　been。　　'Look　you；'　says　he；　'by　the
  number　which　are　at　this　time　sick　and　infected；　there　should　have
  been　twenty　thousand　dead　the　last　week　instead　of　eight　thousand；　if
  the　inveterate　mortal　contagion　had　been　as　it　was　two　weeks　ago；　for
  then　it　ordinarily　killed　in　two　or　three　days；　now　not　under　eight　or
  ten；　and　then　not　above　one　in　five　recovered；　whereas　I　have
  observed　that　now　not　above　two　in　five　miscarry。　　And；　observe　it
  from　me；　the　next　bill　will　decrease；　and　you　will　see　many　more
  people　recover　than　used　to　do；　for　though　a　vast　multitude　are　now
  everywhere　infected；　and　as　many　every　day　fall　sick；　yet　there　will
  not　so　many　die　as　there　did；　for　the　malignity　of　the　distemper　is
  abated'；　…　adding　that　he　began　now　to　hope；　nay；　more　than　hope；　that
  the　infection　had　passed　its　crisis　and　was　going　off；　and　accordingly
  so　it　was；　for　the　next　week　being；　as　I　said；　the　last　in　September；　the
  bill　decreased　almost　two　thousand。
  It　is　true　the　plague　was　still　at　a　frightful　height；　and　the　next　bill
  was　no　less　than　6460；　and　the　next　to　that；　5720；　but　still　my　friend's
  observation　was　just；　and　it　did　appear　the　people　did　recover　faster
  and　more　in　number　than　they　used　to　do；　and　indeed；　if　it　had　not
  been　so；　what　had　been　the　condition　of　the　city　of　London？　　For；
  according　to　my　friend；　there　were　not　fewer　than　60；000　people　at
  that　time　infected；　whereof；　as　above；　20；477　died；　and　near　40；000
  recovered；　whereas；　had　it　been　as　it　was　before；　50；000　of　that
  number　would　very　probably　have　died；　if　not　more；　and　50；000　more
  would　have　sickened；　for；　in　a　word；　the　whole　mass　of　people　began
  to　sicken；　and　it　looked　as　if　none　would　escape。
  But　this　remark　of　my　friend's　appeared　more　evident　in　a　few
  weeks　more；　for　the　decrease　went　on；　and　another　week　in　October　it
  decreased　1843；　so　that　the　number　dead　of　the　plague　was　but　2665；
  and　the　next　week　it　decreased　1413　more；　and　yet　it　was　seen　plainly
  that　there　was　abundance　of　people　sick；　nay；　abundance　more　than
  ordinary；　and　abundance　fell　sick　every　day　but　（as　above）　the
  malignity　of　the　disease　abated。
  Such　is　the　precipitant　disposition　of　our　people　（whether　it　is　so　or
  not　all　over　the　world；　that's　none　of　my　particular　business　to
  inquire）；　but　I　saw　it　apparently　here；　that　as　upon　the　first　fright　of
  the　infection　they　shunned　one　another；　and　fled　from　one　another's
  houses　and　from　the　city　with　an　unaccountable　and；　as　I　thought；
  unnecessary　fright；　so　now；　upon　this　notion　spreading；　viz。；　that　the
  distemper　was　not　so　catching　as　formerly；　and　that　if　it　was　catched　it
  was　not　so　mortal；　and　seeing　abundance　of　people　who　really　fell
  sick　recover　again　daily；　they　took　to　such　a　precipitant　courage；　and
  grew　so　entirely　regardless　of　themselves　and　of　the　infection；　that
  they　made　no　more　of　the　plague　than　of　an　ordinary　fever；　nor　indeed
  so　much。　　They　not　only　went　boldly　into　company　with　those　who
  had　tumours　and　carbuncles　upon　them　that　were　running；　and
  consequently　contagious；　but　ate　and　drank　with　them；　nay；　into　their
  houses　to　visit　them；　and　even；　as　I　was　told；　into　their　very　chambers
  where　they　lay　sick。
  This　I　could　not　see　rational。　　My　friend　Dr　Heath　allowed；　and　it
  was　plain　to　experience；　that　the　distemper　was　as　catching　as　ever；
  and　as　many　fell　sick；　but　only　he　alleged　that　so　many　of　those　that
  fell　sick　did　not　die；　but　I　think　that　while　many　did　die；　and　that　at
  best　the　distemper　itself　was　very　terrible；　the　sores　and　swellings　very
  tormenting；　and　the　danger　of　death　not　left　out　of　the　circumstances
  of　sickness；　though　not　so　frequent　as　before；　all　those　things；　together
  with　the　exceeding　tediousness　of　the　cure；　the　loathsomeness　of　the
  disease；　and　many　other　articles；　were　enough　to