knowing what course to take or what to do, either to help or to relieve
themselves; but they ran about from one neighbor's house to another, and
even in the streets, from one door to another, with repeated cries of,
"Lord, have mercy upon us! What shall we do?"

I am supposing, now, the plague to have begun, as I have said, and that
the magistrates began to take the condition of the people into their
serious consideration. What they did as to the regulation of the
inhabitants, and of infected families, I shall speak to[75] by itself;
but as to the affair of health, it is proper to mention here my having
seen the foolish humor of the people in running after quacks,
mountebanks, wizards, and fortune tellers, which they did, as above,
even to madness. The lord mayor, a very sober and religious gentleman,
appointed physicians and surgeons for the relief of the poor, I mean the
diseased poor, and in particular ordered the College of Physicians[76]
to publish directions for cheap remedies for the poor in all the
circumstances of the distemper. This, indeed, was one of the most
charitable and judicious things that could be done at that time; for
this drove the people from haunting the doors of every disperser of
bills, and from taking down blindly and without consideration, poison
for physic, and death instead of life.

This direction of the physicians was done by a consultation of the whole
college; and as it was particularly calculated for the use of the poor,
and for cheap medicines, it was made public, so that everybody might see
it, and copies were given gratis to all that desired it. But as it is
public and to be seen on all occasions, I need not give the reader of
this the trouble of it.

It remains to be mentioned now what public measures were taken by the
magistrates for the general safety and to prevent the spreading of the
distemper when it broke out. I shall have frequent occasion to speak of
the prudence of the magistrates, their charity, their vigilance for the
poor and for preserving good order, furnishing provisions, and the like,
when the plague was increased as it afterwards was. But I am now upon
the order and regulations which they published for the government of
infected families.

I mentioned above shutting of houses up, and it is needful to say
something particularly to that; for this part of the history of the
plague is very melancholy. But the most grievous story must be told.

About June, the l