Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/76

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Memoirs of

not being able to contain herſelf, threw down her Candle, and ſeriekt out in ſuch a frightful Manner, that it was enough to place Horror upon the ſtouteſt Heart in the World; nor was it one Skream, or one Cry, but the Fright, having ſeiz'd her Spirits, ſhe fainted firſt, then recovered, then ran all over the Houſe, up the Stairs and down the Stairs, like one diſtracted, and indeed really was diſtracted, and continued ſcreching and crying out for ſeveral Hours, void of all Senſe, or at leaſt, Government of her Senſes, and as I was told, never came throughly to herſelf again: As to the young Maiden, ſhe was a dead Corpſe from that Moment; for the Gangren which occaſions the Spots had ſpread her whole Body and ſhe died in leſs than two Hours: But ſtill the Mother continued crying out, not knowing any Thing more of her. Child, ſeveral Hours after ſhe was dead. It as ſo long ago, that I am not certain, but I think the Mother never recover'd, but died in two or three Weeks after.

This was an extraordinary Caſe, and I am therefore the more particular in it, becauſe I came ſo much to the Knowledge of it; but there were innumerable ſuch like Caſes; and it was ſeldom, that the Weekly Bill came in but there were two or three put in frighted, that is, that may well be call'd, frighted to Death: But beſides thoſe, who were ſo frighted to die upon the Spot there were great Numbers frighted to other Extreams, ſome frighted out of their Senſes, ſome out of their Memory, and ſome out of their Underſtanding: But I return to the ſhutting up of Hones.

As ſeveral People, I ſay, got out of their Houſes by Stratagem, after they were ſhut up, ſo others got out by bribing the Watchmen, and giving them Money to let them go privately out in the Night. I muſt confeſs, I thought it at that time,the