in the Weſt, by which means thoſe parts of the Town, which were not ſeiz’d, or who were left, and where it had ſpent its Fury, were (as it were) ſpar’d to help and aſſiſt the other; whereas had the Diſtemper ſpread it ſelf over the whole City and Suburbs at once, raging in all Places alike, as it has done ſince in ſome Places abroad, the whole Body of the People muſt have been overwhelmed,and there would have died twenty thouſand a Day, as they ſay there did at Naples, nor would the People have been able to have help’d or aſſiſted one another.
For it muſt be obſerv’d that where the Plague was in its full Force, there indeed the People were very miſerable, and the Conſternation was inexpreſſible. But a little before it reach’d even to that place, or preſently after it was gone, they were quite another Sort of People, and I cannot but acknowledge, that there was too much of that common Temper of Mankind to be found among us all at that time; namely to forget the Deliverance, when the Danger is paſt: But I ſhall come to ſpeak of that part again.
It muſt not be forgot here to take ſome Notice of the State of Trade, during the time of this common Calamity, and this with reſpect to Foreign Trade, as alſo to our Home-trade.
As to Foreign Trade, there needs little to be ſaid; the trading Nations of Europe were all afraid of us, no Port of France, or Holland, or Spain, or Italy would admit our Ships or correſpond with us; indeed we ſtood on ill Terms with the Dutch, and were in a furious War with them, but tho’ in a bad Condition to fight abroad, who had ſuch dreadful Enemies to ſtruggle with at Home.
Our Merchants accordingly were at a full Stop, their Ships could go no where, that is to ſay to no place abroad; their Manufactures and Merchandiſe,
