door
again, and went up again, and died the same day; nay, perhaps the same
hour. This the young man told me himself, and I have reason to believe
it. This was while the plague was not come to a height. I think it was
in June, towards the latter end of the month; it must be before the
dead-carts came about, and while they used the ceremony of ringing the
bell for the dead, which was over for certain, in that parish at least,
before the month of July, for by the 25th of July there died 550 and
upwards in a week, and then they could no more bury in form, rich or
poor.

I have mentioned above that notwithstanding this dreadful calamity, yet
the numbers of thieves were abroad upon all occasions, where they had
found any prey, and that these were generally women. It was one morning
about eleven O'clock, I had walked out to my brother's house in Coleman
Street parish, as I often did, to see that all was safe.

My brother's house had a little court before it, and a brick wall and
a gate in it, and within that several warehouses where his goods of
several sorts lay. It happened that in one of these warehouses were
several packs of women's high-crowned hats, which came out of the
country and were, as I suppose, for exportation: whither, I know not.

I was surprised that when I came near my brother's door, which was in
a place they called Swan Alley, I met three or four women with
high-crowned hats on their heads; and, as I remembered afterwards, one,
if not more, had some hats likewise in their hands; but as I did not see
them come out at my brother's door, and not knowing that my brother
had any such goods in his warehouse, I did not offer to say anything to
them, but went across the way to shun meeting them, as was usual to do
at that time, for fear of the plague. But when I came nearer to the gate
I met another woman with more hats come out of the gate. 'What business,
mistress,' said I, 'have you had there?' 'There are more people there,'
said she; 'I have had no more business there than they.' I was hasty to
get to the gate then, and said no more to her, by which means she got
away. But just as I came to the gate, I saw two more coming across the
yard to come out with hats also on their heads and under their arms, at
which I threw the gate to behind me, which having a spring lock fastened
itself; and turning to the women, 'Forsooth,' said I, 'what are you
doing here?' and seized upon the hats, and took them from them. One