on his pale Horſe; to ſtay was indeed to die, and it could be eſteemed nothing leſs, eſpecially as things appear’d at the latter End of Auguſt, and the Beginning of September, and as there was reaſon to expect them at that time; for no Man expected, and I dare ſay, believed, that the Diſtemper would take ſo ſudden a Turn as it did, and fall immediately 2000 in a Week, when there was ſuch a prodigious Number of People ſick at that Time, as it was known there was; and then it was that many ſhifted away, that had ſtay’d moſt of the time before.
Beſides, if God gave Strength to ſome more than to others, was it to boaſt of their Ability to abide the Stroak, and upbraid thoſe that had not the ſame Gift and Support, or ought not they rather to have been humble and thankful, if they were render’d more uſeful than their Brethren?
I think it ought to be recorded to the Honour of ſuch Men, as well Clergy as Phyſicians, Surgeons, Apothecaries, Magiſtrates and Officers of every kind,as alſo all uſeful Peoples who ventur’d their Lives in Diſcharge of their Duty, as moſt certainly all ſuch as ſtay’d did to the laſt Degree, and ſeveral of all theſe Kinds did not only venture but loſe their Lives on that ſad Occaſion.
I was once making a Liſt of all ſuch, I mean of all thoſe Profeſſions and Employments, who thus died, as I call it, in the way of their Duty, but it was impoſſible for a private Man to come at a Certainty in the Particulars; I only remember, that there died ſixteen Clergy-men, two Aldermen, five Phyſicians, thirteen Surgeons, within the City and Liberties before the beginning of September: But this being, as I ſaid before, the great Criſis and Extremity of the Infection, it can be no compleat Liſt: As to inferior People, I think there died ſix and forty
