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we　ordinarily　made　use　of　on　this　terrible　occasion　…　I　mean　we　that

went　frequently　abroad　and　up　down　street；　as　I　did；　much　of　this　was

talked　of　in　the　books　and　bills　of　our　quack　doctors；　of　whom　I　have

said　enough　already。　　It　may；　however；　be　added；　that　the　College　of

Physicians　were　daily　publishing　several　preparations；　which　they　had

considered　of　in　the　process　of　their　practice；　and　which；　being　to　be

had　in　print；　I　avoid　repeating　them　for　that　reason。



One　thing　I　could　not　help　observing：　what　befell　one　of　the　quacks；

who　published　that　he　had　a　most　excellent　preservative　against　the

plague；　which　whoever　kept　about　them　should　never　be　infected　or

liable　to　infection。　　This　man；　who；　we　may　reasonably　suppose；　did

not　go　abroad　without　some　of　this　excellent　preservative　in　his

pocket；　yet　was　taken　by　the　distemper；　and　carried　off　in　two　or　three

days。



I　am　not　of　the　number　of　the　physic…haters　or　physic…despisers；　on

the　contrary；　I　have　often　mentioned　the　regard　I　had　to　the　dictates　of

my　particular　friend　Dr　Heath；　but　yet　I　must　acknowledge　I　made　use

of　little　or　nothing　…　except；　as　I　have　observed；　to　keep　a　preparation

of　strong　scent　to　have　ready；　in　case　I　met　with　anything　of　offensive

smells　or　went　too　near　any　burying…place　or　dead　body。



Neither　did　I　do　what　I　know　some　did：　keep　the　spirits　always　high

and　hot　with　cordials　and　wine　and　such　things；　and　which；　as　I

observed；　one　learned　physician　used　himself　so　much　to　as　that　he

could　not　leave　them　off　when　the　infection　was　quite　gone；　and　so

became　a　sot　for　all　his　life　after。



I　remember　my　friend　the　doctor　used　to　say　that　there　was　a　certain

set　of　drugs　and　preparations　which　were　all　certainly　good　and　useful

in　the　case　of　an　infection；　out　of　which；　or　with　which；　physicians

might　make　an　infinite　variety　of　medicines；　as　the　ringers　of　bells

make　several　hundred　different　rounds　of　music　by　the　changing　and

order　or　sound　but　in　six　bells；　and　that　all　these　preparations　shall　be

really　very　good：　'Therefore；'　said　he；　'I　do　not　wonder　that　so　vast　a

throng　of　medicines　is　offered　in　the　present　calamity；　and　almost

every　physician　prescribes　or　prepares　a　different　thing；　as　his

judgement　or　experience　guides　him；　but'；　says　my　friend；　'let　all　the

prescriptions　of　all　the　physicians　in　London　be　examined；　and　it　will

be　found　that　they　are　all　compounded　of　the　same　things；　with　such

variations　only　as　the　particular　fancy　of　the　doctor　leads　him　to；　so

that'；　says　he；　'every　man；　judging　a　little　of　his　own　constitution　and

manner　of　his　living；　and　circumstances　of　his　being　infected；　may

direct　his　own　medicines　out　of　the　ordinary　drugs　and　preparations。

Only　that'；　says　he；　'some　recommend　one　thing　as　most　sovereign；

and　some　another。　　Some'；　says　he；　'think　that　pill。　ruff。；　which　is

called　itself　the　anti…pestilential　pill　is　the　best　preparation　that　can　be

made；　others　think　that　Venice　treacle　is　sufficient　of　itself　to　resist

the　contagion；　and　I'；　says　he；　'think　as　both　these　think；　viz。；　that　the

last　is　good　to　take　beforehand　to　prevent　it；　and　the　first；　if　touched；

to　expel　it。'　According　to　this　opinion；　I　several　times　took　Venice

treacle；　and　a　sound　sweat　upon　it；　and　thought　myself　as　well

fortified　against　the　infection　as　any　one　could　be　fortified　by　the

power　of　physic。



As　for　quackery　and　mountebanks；　of　which　the　town　was　so　full；　I

listened　to　none　of　them；　and　have　observed　often　since；　with　some

wonder；　that　for　two　years　after　the　plague　I　scarcely　saw　or　heard　of

one　of　them　about　town。　　Some　fancied　they　were　all　swept　away　in

the　infection　to　a　man；　and　were　for　calling　it　a　particular　mark　of

God's　vengeance　upon　them　for　leading　the　poor　people　into　the　pit　of

destruction；　merely　for　the　lucre　of　a　little　money　they　got　by　them；

but　I　cannot　go　that　length　neither。　　That　abundance　of　them　died　is

certain　…　many　of　them　came　within　the　reach　of　my　own　knowledge　…

but　that　all　of　them　were　swept　off　I　much　question。　　I　believe　rather

they　fled　into　the　country　and　tried　their　practices　upon　the　people

there；　who　were　in　apprehension　of　the　infection　before　it　came

among　them。



This；　however；　is　certain；　not　a　man　of　them　appeared　for　a　great

while　in　or　about　London。　　There　were；　indeed；　several　doctors　who

published　bills　recommending　their　several　physical　preparations　for

cleansing　the　body；　as　they　call　it；　after　the　plague；　and　needful；　as

they　said；　for　such　people　to　take　who　had　been　visited　and　had　been

cured；　whereas　I　must　own　I　believe　that　it　was　the　opinion　of　the

most　eminent　physicians　at　that　time　that　the　plague　was　itself　a

sufficient　purge；　and　that　those　who　escaped　the　infection　needed　no

physic　to　cleanse　their　bodies　of　any　other　things；　the　running　sores；

the　tumours；　&c。；　which　were　broke　and　kept　open　by　the　directions　of

the　physicians；　having　sufficiently　cleansed　them；　and　that　all　other

distempers；　and　causes　of　distempers；　were　effectually　carried　off　that

way；　and　as　the　physicians　gave　this　as　their　opinions　wherever　they

came；　the　quacks　got　little　business。



There　were；　indeed；　several　little　hurries　which　happened　after　the

decrease　of　the　plague；　and　which；　whether　they　were　contrived　to

fright　and　disorder　the　people；　as　some　imagined；　I　cannot　say；　but

sometimes　we　were　told　the　plague　would　return　by　such　a　time；　and

the　famous　Solomon　Eagle；　the　naked　Quaker　I　have　mentioned；

prophesied　evil　tidings　every　day；　and　several　others　telling　us　that

London　had　not　been　sufficiently　scourged；　and　that　sorer　and　severer

strokes　were　yet　behind。　　Had　they　stopped　there；　or　had　they

descended　to　particulars；　and　told　us　that　the　city　should　the　next　year

be　destroyed　by　fire；　then；　indeed；　when　we　had　seen　it　come　to　pass；

we　should　not　have　been　to　blame　to　have　paid　more　than　a　common

respect　to　their　prophetic　spirits；　at　least　we　should　have　wondered　at

them；　and　have　been　more　serious　in　our　inquiries　after　the　meaning

of　it；　and　whence　they　had　the　foreknowledge。　　But　as　they　generally

told　us　of　a　relapse　into　the　plague；　we　have　had　no　concern　since　that

about　them；　yet　by　those　frequent　clamours；　we　were　all　kept　with

some　kind　of　apprehensions　constantly　upon　us；　and　if　any　died

suddenly；　or　if　the　spotted　fevers　at　any　time　increased；　we　were

presently　alarmed；　much　more　if　the　number　of　the　plague　increased；

for　to　the　end　of　the　year　there　were　always　between　200　and　300　of

the　plague。　　On　any　of　these　occasions；　I　say；　we　were　alarmed　anew。



Those　who　remember　the　city　of　London　before　the　fire　must

remember　that　there　was　then　no　such　place　as　we　now　call　Newgate

Market；　but　that　in　the　middle　of　the　street　which　is　now　called　Blow…

bladder　Street；　and　which　had　its　name　from　the　butchers；　who　used　to

kill　and　dress　their　sheep　there　（and　who；　it　seems；　had　a　custom　to

blow　up　their　meat　with　pipes　to　make　it　look　thicker　and　fatter　than　it

was；　and　were　punished　there　for　it　by　the　Lord　Mayor）；　I　say；　from

the　end　of　the　street　towards　Newgate　there　stood　two　long　rows　of

shambles　for　the　selling　meat。



It　was　in　those　shambles　that　two　persons　falling　down　dead；　as　they

were　buying　meat；　gave　rise　to　a　rumour　that　the　meat　was　all

infected；　which；　though　it　might　affright　the　people；　and　spoiled　the

market　for　two　or　three　days；　yet　it　appeared　plainly　afterwards　that

there　was　nothing　of　truth　in　the　suggestion。　　But　nobody　can　account

for　the　possession　of　fear　when　it　takes　hold　of　the　mind。



However；　it　Pleased　God；　by　the　continuing　of　the　winter　weather；

so　to　restore　the　health　of　the　city　that　by　February　following　we

reckoned　the　distemper　quite　ceased；　and　then　we　were　not　so　easily

frighted　again。



There　was　still　a　question　among　the　learned；　and　at　first　perplexed

the　people　a　little：　and　that　was　in　what　manner　to　purge　the　house　and

goods　where　the　plague　had　been；　and　how　to　render　them　habitable

again；　which　had　been　left　empty　during　the　time　of　the　plague。

Abundance…　of　perfumes　and　preparations　were　prescribed　by

physicians；　some　of　one　kind　and　some　of　another；　in　which　the

people　who　listened　to　them　put　themselves　to　a　great；　and　indeed；　in

my　opinion；　to　an　unnecessary　expense；　and　the　poorer　people；　who

only　set　open　their　windows　night　and　day；　burned　brimstone；　pitch；

and　gunpowder；　and　such　things　in　their　rooms；　did　as　well　as　the

best；　nay；　the　eager　people　who；　as　I　said　above；　came　home　in　haste

and　at　all　hazards；　found　little　or　no　inconvenience　in　their　houses；　nor

in　the　goods；　and　did　little　or　nothing　to　them。



However；　in　general；　prudent；　cautious　people　did　enter　into　some

measures　for　airing　and　sweetening　their　houses；　and　burned

perfumes；　incense；　benjamin；　rozin；　and　sulphur　in　their　rooms　close

shut　up；　and　then　let　the　air　carry　it　all　out　with　a　blast　of　gunpowder；

others　caused　large　fires　to　be　made　all　day　and　all　night　for　several

days　and　nights；　by　the　same　token　that　two　or　three　were　pleased　to

set　their　houses　on　fire；　and　so　effectually　sweetened　them　by　burning

them　down　to　the　ground；　as　particularly　one　at　Ratcliff；　one　in

Holbourn；　and　one　at　Westminster；　besides　two　or　three　that　were　set

on　fire；　but　the　fire　was　happily　got　out　again　before　it　went　far

enough　to　bum　down　the　houses；　and　one　citizen's　servant；　I　think　it

was　in　Thames　Street；　carried　so　much　gunpowder　into　his　master's

house；　for　clearing　it　of　the　infection；　and　managed　it　so　foolishly；　that

he　blew　up　part　of　the　roof　of　the　house。　　But　the　time　was　not　fully

come　that　the　city　was　to　he　purged　by　fire；　nor　was　it　far　off；　for

within　nine　months　more　I　saw　it　all　lying　in　ashes；　when；　as　some　of

our　quacking　philosophers　pretend；　the　seeds　of　the　plague　were

entirely　destroyed；　and　not　before；　a　notion　too　ridiculous　to　speak　of

here：　sin