ed with all my might to be excused from
such an employment, and used many arguments with the alderman's deputy
to be excused; particularly, I alleged that I was against shutting up
houses at all, and that it would be very hard to oblige me to be an
instrument in that which was against my judgment, and which I did verily
believe would not answer the end it was intended for. But all the
abatement I could get was only, that whereas the officer was appointed
by my lord mayor to continue two months, I should be obliged to hold it
but three weeks, on condition, nevertheless, that I could then get some
other sufficient housekeeper to serve the rest of the time for me;
which was, in short, but a very small favor, it being very difficult to
get any man to accept of such an employment that was fit to be intrusted
with it.

It is true that shutting up of houses had one effect which I am sensible
was of moment; namely, it confined the distempered people, who would
otherwise have been both very troublesome and very dangerous in their
running about streets with the distemper upon them, which, when they
were delirious, they would have done in a most frightful manner, as,
indeed, they began to do at first very much until they were restrained;
nay, so very open they were, that the poor would go about and beg at
people's doors, and say they had the plague upon them, and beg rags for
their sores, or both, or anything that delirious nature happened to
think of.

A poor unhappy gentlewoman, a substantial citizen's wife, was, if the
story be true, murdered by one of these creatures in Aldersgate Street,
or that way. He was going along the street, raving mad, to be sure, and
singing. The people only said he was drunk; but he himself said he had
the plague upon him, which, it seems, was true; and, meeting this
gentlewoman, he would kiss her. She was terribly frightened, as he was a
rude fellow, and she run from him; but, the street being very thin of
people, there was nobody near enough to help her. When she saw he would
overtake her, she turned and gave him a thrust so forcibly, he being but
weak, as pushed him down backward; but very unhappily, she being so
near, he caught hold of her and pulled her down also, and, getting up
first, mastered her and kissed her, and, which was worst of all, when he
had done, told her he had the plague, and why should not she have it as
well as he. She was frightened enough before; but when she heard him say