was time for him to withdraw, or to take care of himſelf, taking his Drink, which he always carried about him for that Purpoſe. Now it ſeems he found his Wound would ſmart many Times when he was in Company with ſuch, who thought themſelves to be ſound, and who appear’d ſo to one another; but he would preſently riſe up, and ſay publickly, Friends, here is ſome Body in the Room that has the Plague, and ſo would immediately break up the Company. This was indeed a faithful Monitor to all People, that the Plague is not to be avoided by thoſe that converſe promiſcuouſly in a Town infected, and People have it when they know it not, and that they likewiſe give it to others when they know not that they have it themſelves; and in this Caſe, ſhutting up the WELL or removing the SICK will not do it, unleſs they can go back and ſhut up all thoſe that the Sick had Convers’d with, even before they knew themſelves to be ſick, and none knows how far to carry that back, or where to ſtop; for none knows when, or where, or how they may have received the Infection, or from whom.
This I take to be the Reaſon, which makes ſo many People talk of the Air being corrupted and infected, and that they need not be cautious of whom they converſe with, for that the Contagion was in the Air. I have ſeen them in ſtrange Agitations and Surpriſes on this Account, I have never come near any infected Body! ſays the diſturbed Perſon, I have Convers’d with none, but ſound healthy People, and yet I have gotten the Diſtemper! I am ſure I am ſtruck from Heaven, ſays another, and he falls to the ſerious Part; again the firſt goes on exclaiming, I have come near no Infection, or any infected Perſon, I am ſure it is in the air; We draw in Death. when we breath, and therefore ’tis the Hand of God, there is no withſtanding it; and this at laſt made many People, being hardened to the Danger,
