did they go up and down the Houſe with any aſſurance, till they had burnt a great variety of Fumes and Perfumes in all the Rooms, and made a great many Smoaks of Pitch, of Gunpowder, and of Sulphur, all ſeparately ſhifted; and waſhed their Clothes, and the like: As to the poor Man whether he liv’d or dy’d I don’t remember.
It is moſt certain, that if by the Shutting up of Houſes the ſick had not been confin’d, multitudes who in the height of their Fever were Dilirious and Diftracted, wou'd ha’ been continually running up and down the Streets, and ever as it was, a very great number did ſo, and offer’d all ſorts of Violence to thoſe they met, even juſt as a mad Dog runs on and bites at every one he meets; nor can I doubt but that ſhou’d one of thoſe infected diſeaſed Creatures have bitten any Man or Woman, while the Frenzy of the Diſtemper was upon them, they, I mean the Perſon ſo wounded, wou’d as certainly ha’ been incurably infected, as one that was ſick before and had the Tokens upon him.
I heard of one infected Creature, who running out of his Bed in his Shirt, in the anguiſh and agony of his Swellings, of which he had three upon him, got his Shoes on and went to put on his Coat, but the Nurſe reſiſting and ſnatching the Coat from him, he threw her down, run over her, run down Stairs and into the Street directly to the Thames in his Shirt, the Nurſe running after him, and calling to the Watch to ſtop him; but the Watchmen frighted at the Man, and afraid to touch him, let him go on; upon which he ran down to the Still-yard Stairs, threw away his Shirt, and plung’d into the Thames, and, being a good ſwimmer, ſwam quite over the River; and the Tide being coming in, as they call it, that is running Welt-ward, he reached the Land not till he came about the Falcon Stairs, where landing, and finding no People there, it being in the Night, he ran about the Streets there, Naked as he was, for
