ordinarily cautious of their Health, did take particular Directions for what they called Seaſoning of their Houſes, and Abundance of coſtly Things were conſum’d on that Account, which, I cannot but ſay, not only ſeaſoned thoſe Houſes, as they deſir’d, but fill’d the Air with very grateful and wholeſome Smells, which others had the Share of the Benefit of, as well as thoſe who were at the Expences of them.
And yet after all, tho’ the Poor came to Town very precipitantly, as I have ſaid, yet I muſt ſay, the rich made no ſuch Haſte; the Men of Buſineſs indeed came up, but many of them did not bring their Families to Town, till the Spring came on, and that they ſaw Reaſon to depend upon it, that the Plague would not return.
The Court indeed came up ſoon after Chriſtmas, but the Nobility and Gentry, except ſuch as depended upon, and had Employment under the Adminiſtration, did not come ſo ſoon.
I ſhould have taken Notice here, that notwithſtanding the Violence of the Plague in London and in other Places, yet it was very obſervable, that it was never on Board the Fleet; and yet for ſome time there was a ſtrange Preſs in the River, and even in the Streets for Sea-Men to man the Fleet. But it was in the Beginning of the Year, when the Plague was ſcarce begun, and not at all come down to that part of the City, where they uſually preſs for Seamen; and tho’ a War with the Dutch was not at all grateful to the People at that time, and the Seamen went with a kind of Reluctancy into the Service, and many complain’d of being drag’d into it by Force, yet it prov’d in the Event a happy Violence to ſeveral of them, who had probably periſh’d in the general Calamity, and who after the Summer Service was over, tho’ they had Cauſe to
