orders to the officers appointed; but the aldermen, in person
and on horseback, frequently rode to such houses, and caused the people
to be asked at their windows whether they were duly attended or not,
also whether they wanted anything that was necessary, and if the
officers had constantly carried their messages, and fetched them such
things as they wanted, or not. And if they answered in the affirmative,
all was well; but if they complained that they were ill supplied, and
that the officer did not do his duty, or did not treat them civilly,
they (the officers) were generally removed, and others placed in their
stead.

It is true, such complaint might be unjust; and if the officer had such
arguments to use as would convince the magistrate that he was right, and
that the people had injured him, he was continued, and they reproved.
But this part could not well bear a particular inquiry, for the parties
could very ill be well heard and answered in the street from the
windows, as was the case then. The magistrates, therefore, generally
chose to favor the people, and remove the man, as what seemed to be the
least wrong and of the least ill consequence; seeing, if the watchman
was injured, yet they could easily make him amends by giving him another
post of a like nature; but, if the family was injured, there was no
satisfaction could be made to them, the damage, perhaps, being
irreparable, as it concerned their lives.

A great variety of these cases frequently happened between the watchmen
and the poor people shut up, besides those I formerly mentioned about
escaping. Sometimes the watchmen were absent, sometimes drunk, sometimes
asleep, when the people wanted them; and such never failed to be
punished severely, as indeed they deserved.

But, after all that was or could be done in these cases, the shutting up
of houses, so as to confine those that were well with those that were
sick, had very great inconveniences in it, and some that were very
tragical, and which merited to have been considered, if there had been
room for it: but it was authorized by a law, it had the public good in
view as the end chiefly aimed at; and all the private injuries that were
done by the putting it in execution must be put to the account of the
public benefit.

It is doubtful whether, in the whole, it contributed anything to the
stop of the infection; and indeed I cannot say it did, for nothing could
run with greater fury and rage than the in