that was infected as ſoon as it was ſo, or to ſhut up all the Houſes that were infected: ſo that People had the Liberty of going about the Streets, even where they pleaſed, unleſs they were known to belong to ſuch and ſuch infected Houſes.
It is true, that as ſeveral Phyſicians told my Lord Mayor, the Fury of the Contagion was ſuch at ſome particular Times, and People ſicken’d ſo faſt, and died ſo ſoon, that it was impoſſible and indeed to no purpoſe to go about to enquire who was ſick and who was well, or to ſhut them up with ſuch Exactneſs, as the thing required; almoſt every Houſe in a whole Street being infected, and in many Places every Perſon in ſome of the Houſes; and that which was ſtill worſe, by the time that the Houſes were known to be infected, moſt of the Perſons infected would be ſtone dead, and the reſt run away for Fear of being ſhut up; ſo that it was to very ſmall Purpoſe, to call them infected Houſes and ſhut them up; the Infection having ravaged, and taken its Leave of the Houſe, before it was really known, that the Family was any way touch’d.
This might be ſufficient to convince any reaſonable Perſon, that as it was not in the Power of the Magiſtrates, or of any humane Methods or Policy, to prevent the ſpreading the Infection; ſo that this way of ſhutting up of Houſes was perfectly inſufficient for that End. Indeed it ſeemed to have no manner of publick Good in it, equal or proportionable to the grievous Burthen that it was to the particular Families, that were ſo ſhut up; and as far as I was employed by the publick in directing that Severity, I frequently found occaſion to ſee, that it was incapable of anſwering the End. For Example as I was deſired as a Viſitor or Examiner to enquire into the Particulars of ſeveral Families which were infected, we ſcarce came to any Houſe where the Plague had viſibly appear’d in the Family, but that ſome of the Family were Fled and gone; the
