though they lived in the house with people that were
infected. This made the people all resolve to have it; but then the
price of that was so much,--I think it was half a crown. "But, sir,"
says one poor woman, "I am a poor almswoman, and am kept by the parish,
and your bills say you give the poor your help for nothing." "Ay, good
woman," says the doctor, "so I do, as I published there; I give my
advice, but not my physic!" "Alas, sir," says she, "that is a snare laid
for the poor then, for you give them your advice for nothing: that is to
say, you advise them gratis, to buy your physic for their money; so does
every shopkeeper with his wares." Here the woman began to give him ill
words, and stood at his door all that day, telling her tale to all the
people that came, till the doctor, finding she turned away his
customers, was obliged to call her up-stairs again and give her his box
of physic for nothing, which perhaps too was good for nothing when she
had it.

THE PEOPLE ARE QUARANTINED IN THEIR HOUSES

This shutting up of houses was at first counted a very cruel and
unchristian method, and the poor people so confined made bitter
lamentations; complaints of the severity of it were also daily brought
to my lord mayor, of houses causelessly and some maliciously shut up; I
cannot say, but upon inquiry, many that complained so loudly were found
in a condition to be continued; and others again, inspection being made
upon the sick person and the sickness not appearing infectious, or if
uncertain, yet on his being content to be carried to the pest-house, was
released.

As I went along Houndsditch one morning about eight o'clock there was a
great noise; it is true indeed that there was not much crowd, because
the people were not very free to gather together, or to stay together
when they were there, nor did I stay long there; but the outcry was loud
enough to prompt my curiosity, and I called to one who looked out of a
window, and asked what was the matter.

A watchman, it seems, had been employed to keep his post at the door of
a house which was infected, or said to be infected, and was shut up; he
had been there all night for two nights together, as he told his story,
and the day watchman had been there one day, and was now come to relieve
him; all this while no noise had been heard in the house, no light had
been seen, they called for nothing, sent him on no errands, which used
to be the chief business of the watchma