Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/193

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
the PLAGUE.
185

into the Room to them as the whole Family was at upper: They began to riſe up a little ſurpriz’d, not knowing what the Matter was, but he bid them ſit ſtill, he only came to take his leave of them. They ask’d him, Why Mr. —— where are you going? Going, ſays he, I have got the Sickneſs, and ſhall die to morrow Night. Tis eaſie to believe, though not to deſcribe the Conſternation they were all in, the Women and the Man’s Daughters which were but little Girls, were frighted almoſt to Death, and got up, one running out at one Door, and one at another, ſome down-Stairs and ſome up-Stairs, and getting together as well as they could, lock’d themſelves into their Chambers, and ſcreamed out at the Window for Help, as if they had been frighted out of their Wits: The Maſter more compos’d than they, tho’ both frighted and provok’d, was going to lay Hands on him, and thro’ him down Stairs, being in a Paſſion, but then conſidering a little the Condition of the Man and the Danger of touching him, Horror ſeiz’d his Mind, and he ſtood ſtill like one aſtoniſhed. The poor diſtemper’d Man all this while, being as well diſeas’d in his Brain as in his Body, ſtood ſtill like one amaz’d; at length he turns round, Ay! ſays he, with all the ſeeming calmneſs imaginable, Is it ſo with you all! Are you all diſturb’d at me? why then I'll e'en go home and die there. And ſo he goes immediately down Stairs: The Servant that had let him in goes down after him with a Candle, but was afraid to go paſt him and open the Door, ſo he ſtood on the Stairs to ſee what he wou’d do; the Man went and open’d the Door, and went out and flung the Door after him: It was ſome while before the Family recover’d the Fright, but as no ill Conſequence attended, they have had occaſion ſince to ſpeak of it (you may be ſure) with great Satisfaction. Tho’ the Man was gone it was ſome time, nay as I heard, ſome Days before they recover’d themſelves of the Hurry they were in, nor