and there upon the Ground; on the other hand it is obſervable, that tho’ at firſt, the People would ſtop as they went along, and call to the Neighbours to come out on ſuch an Occaſion; yet, afterward, no Notice was taken of them; but that, if at any Time we found a Corps lying, go croſs the Way, and not come near it; or if in a narrow Lane or Paſſage, go back again, and ſeek ſome other Way to go on the Buſineſs we were upon; and in thoſe Caſes, the Corps was always left, till the Officers had notice, to come and take them away; or till Night, when the Bearers attending the Dead-Cart would take them up, and carry them away: Nor did thoſe undaunted Creatures, who performed theſe Offices, fail to ſearch their Pockets, and ſometimes ſtrip off their Cloths, if they were well dreſt, as ſometimes they were, and carry off what they could get.
But to return to the Markets; the Butchers took that Care, that if any Perſon dy’d in the Market, they had the Officers always at Hand, to take them up upon Hand-barrows, and carry them to the next Church-Yard; and this was ſo frequent that ſuch were not entred in the weekly Bill, found Dead in the Streets or Fields, as is the Caſe now; but they went into the general Articles of the great Diſtemper.
But now the Fury of the Diſtemper encreaſed to ſuch a Degree, that even the Markets were but very thinly furniſhed with Proviſions, or frequented with Buyers, compair’d to what they were before; and the Lord-Mayor cauſed the Country-People who brought Proviſions, to be ſtop’d in the Streets leading into the Town, and to ſit down there with their Goods, where they ſold what they brought, and went immediately away; and this Encourag’d the Country People greatly to do ſo, for they ſold their Proviſions at the very Entrances into the Town, and even in the Fields; as particularly in the Fields beyond White-Chappel, in Spittle fields. Note, Thoſe Streets now called Spittle-Fields, were then indeed open
