y low: for the week before, the bill was but three hundred and
forty-seven; and the week above mentioned, but three hundred and
forty-three. We continued in these hopes for a few days; but it was but
for a few, for the people were no more to be deceived thus. They
searched the houses, and found that the plague was really spread every
way, and that many died of it every day; so that now all our
extenuations[15] abated, and it was no more to be concealed. Nay, it
quickly appeared that the infection had spread itself beyond all hopes
of abatement; that in the parish of St. Giles's it was gotten into
several streets, and several families lay all sick together; and
accordingly, in the weekly bill for the next week, the thing began to
show itself. There was indeed but fourteen set down of the plague, but
this was all knavery and collusion; for St. Giles's Parish, they buried
forty in all, whereof it was certain most of them died of the plague,
though they were set down of other distempers. And though the number of
all the burials were[16] not increased above thirty-two, and the whole
bill being but three hundred and eighty-five, yet there was[17] fourteen
of the spotted fever, as well as fourteen of the plague; and we took it
for granted, upon the whole, that there were fifty died that week of the
plague.

The next bill was from the 23d of May to the 30th, when the number of
the plague was seventeen; but the burials in St. Giles's were
fifty-three, a frightful number, of whom they set down but nine of the
plague. But on an examination more strictly by the justices of the
peace, and at the lord mayor's[18] request, it was found there were
twenty more who were really dead of the plague in that parish, but had
been set down of the spotted fever, or other distempers, besides others
concealed.

But those were trifling things to what followed immediately after. For
now the weather set in hot; and from the first week in June, the
infection spread in a dreadful manner, and the bills rise[19] high; the
articles of the fever, spotted fever, and teeth, began to swell: for all
that could conceal their distempers did it to prevent their neighbors
shunning and refusing to converse with them, and also to prevent
authority shutting up their houses, which, though it was not yet
practiced, yet was threatened; and people were extremely terrified at
the thoughts of it.

The second week in June, the parish of St. Giles's, where still the
weig