at it was apparent, at least to my judgment, that
there was more of tale than of truth in those things.

A neighbor and acquaintance of mine, having some money owing to him from
a shopkeeper in Whitecross Street or thereabouts, sent his apprentice, a
youth about eighteen years of age, to endeavor to get the money. He came
to the door, and, finding it shut, knocked pretty hard, and, as he
thought, heard somebody answer within, but was not sure: so he waited,
and after some stay knocked again, and then a third time, when he heard
somebody coming downstairs.

At length the man of the house came to the door. He had on his breeches,
or drawers, and a yellow flannel waistcoat, no stockings, a pair of slip
shoes, a white cap on his head, and, as the young man said, death in his
face.

When he opened the door, says he, "What do you disturb me thus for?" The
boy, though a little surprised, replied, "I come from such a one; and my
master sent me for the money, which he says you know of."--"Very well,
child," returns the living ghost; "call, as you go by, at Cripplegate
Church, and bid them ring the bell," and with these words shut the door
again, and went up again, and died the same day, nay, perhaps the same
hour. This the young man told me himself, and I have reason to believe
it. This was while the plague was not come to a height. I think it was
in June, towards the latter end of the month. It must have been 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 five
hundred and fifty and upwards in a week, and then they could no more
bury in form[144] rich or poor.

I have mentioned above, that, notwithstanding this dreadful calamity,
yet that[145] 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 eleven o'clock, I had walked out to my brother's house in
Coleman 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 and a
gate in it, and within that several warehouses, where his goods of
several sorts lay. It happened that in one of these warehouses were
several packs of women's high-crowned hats, which came out of the
country, and were, as I suppose, for exportation, whither I know not.

I was surprised