ck again with their
goods and families; and the inhabitants, finding themselves so imposed
upon, and the citizens breaking in, as it were, upon them, whether they
would or no, complain that when they[233] were infected, they were not
only regardless of others, but even willing to infect them: neither of
which was really true, that is to say, in the colors they[234] were
described in.

It is true there is something to be said for the frequent alarms which
were given to the country, of the resolution of the people of London to
come out by force, not only for relief, but to plunder and rob; that
they ran about the streets with the distemper upon them without any
control; and that no care was taken to shut up houses, and confine the
sick people from infecting others; whereas, to do the Londoners justice,
they never practiced such things, except in such particular cases as I
have mentioned above, and such like. On the other hand, everything was
managed with so much care, and such excellent order was observed in the
whole city and suburbs, by the care of the lord mayor and aldermen, and
by the justices of the peace, churchwardens, etc., in the outparts, that
London may be a pattern to all the cities in the world for the good
government and the excellent order that was everywhere kept, even in the
time of the most violent infection, and when the people were in the
utmost consternation and distress. But of this I shall speak by itself.

One thing, it is to be observed, was owing principally to the prudence
of the magistrates, and ought to be mentioned to their honor; viz., the
moderation which they used in the great and difficult work of shutting
up houses. It is true, as I have mentioned, that the shutting up of
houses was a great subject of discontent, and I may say, indeed, the
only subject of discontent among the people at that time; for the
confining the sound in the same house with the sick was counted very
terrible, and the complaints of people so confined were very grievous:
they were heard in the very streets, and they were sometimes such that
called for resentment, though oftener for compassion. They had no way to
converse with any of their friends but out of their windows, where they
would make such piteous lamentations as often moved the hearts of those
they talked with, and of others who, passing by, heard their story; and
as those complaints oftentimes reproached the severity, and sometimes
the insolence, of the