it muſt be before the Dead Carts came about, and while they uſed the Ceremony of Ringing the Bell for the Dead, which was over for certain, in that Pariſh at leaſt, before the Month of July; for by the 25th of July, there died 550 and upward in a Week, and then they cou’d no more bury in Form, Rich or Poor.
I have mention’d above, that notwithſtanding this dreadful Calamity; yet the Numbers of Thieves were abroad upon all Occaſions, where they had found any Prey; and that theſe were generally Women. It was one Morning about 11 a Clock, I had walk’d out to my Brothers Houſe in Coleman’s-ſtreet Pariſh, as I often did, to ſee that all was Safe.
My Brother’s Houſe had a little Court before it, and a Brick-Wall with a Gate in it; and within that, ſeveral Ware-houſes, where his Goods of ſeveral Sorts lay: It happen’d, that in one of theſe Ware-houfſes, were ſeveral Packs of Womens high-Crown’d Hats, which came out of the Country; and were, as I ſuppoſe, for Exportation; whither I know not.
I was ſurpriz’d that when I came near my Brother’s Door, which was in a Place they call’d Swan-Alley, I met three or four Women with High-crown’d Hats on their Heads; and as I remembred afterwards, one, if not more, had ſome Hats likewiſe in their Hands: but as I did not ſee them come out at my Brothers Door, and not knowing that my Brother had any ſuch Goods in his Ware-houſe, I did not offer to ſay any Thing to them, but went croſs the Way to ſhun meeting them, as was uſual to do at that Time, for fear of the Plague. But when I came nearer to the Gate, I met another Woman with more Hats come out of the Gate. What Buſineſs Miſtreſs, ſaid I, have you had there? There are more People there, ſaid ſhe, I have had no more Buſineſs there than they. I was haſty to get to the Gate then, and ſaid no more to her; by which means ſhe
