Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/17

This page has been validated.
the PLAUGE.
9

that is to ſay, the Broad-ſtreet where I liv'd: Indeed nothing was to be ſeen but Waggons and Carts, with Goods, Women, Servants, Children, &c. Coaches fill'd with People of the better Sort, and Horſemen attending them, and all hurrying away; then empty Waggons, and Carts appear'd and Spare-horſes with Servants, who it was apparent were returning or ſent from the Countries to fetch more People: Beſides innumerable Numbers of Men on Horſeback, ſome alone, others with Servants, and generally ſpeaking, all loaded with Baggage and fitted out for travelling, as any one might perceive by their Appearance.

This was a very terrible and melancholy Thing to ſee,and as it was a Sight which I cou'd not but look on from Morning to Night; for indeed there was nothing elſe of Moment to be ſeen, it filled me with very ſerious Thoughts of the Miſery that was coming upon the City, and the unhappy Condition of thoſe that would be left in it.

This Hurry of the People was ſuch for ſome Weeks, that there was no getting at the Lord-Mayor's Door without exceeding Difficulty; there was ſuch preſſing and crouding there to get paſſes and Certificates of Health, for ſuch as travelled abroad; for without theſe, there was no being admitted to paſs thro' the Towns upon the Road, or to lodge in any Inn: Now as there had none died in the City for all this time, My Lord Mayor gave Certificates of Health without any Difficulty to all thoſe who liv'd in the 97 Pariſhes, and to thoſe within the Liberties too for a while.

This Hurry, I ſay, continued ſome Weeks, that is to ſay, all the Month of May and June, and the more becauſe it was rumour'd that an order of the Government was to be iſſued out, to place Turn-pikes and Barriers on the Road, to preventPeoples