24
General State of London and its Suburbs, During the Plague.
London might well be said to be all in tears the mourners did not go about the streets indeed for nobody put on black, or made a formal ⟨dress⟩ of mourning for their nearest friends; but ⟨the⟩ voice of mourning was truly heard in the street the shrieks of women and children at the windows, and doors of their houses, where ⟨their⟩ dearest relations were, perhaps dying, or ⟨just⟩ dead, were so frequent to be heard, as we ⟨passed⟩ the streets, that it was enough to pierce ⟨the⟩ stoutest heart in the world, to hear them. Tears and lamentations were seen almost in everyhouse especially in the first part of the visitation; ⟨for⟩ towards the latter end, men’s hearts were hardened, and death was so always before their eyes that they did not so much concern ⟨themselves⟩ for the loss of their friends, expecting ⟨that⟩ themselves should be summoned the next hour.
“Such mournings and lamentations were frequently heard in the streets, as pierced the ⟨stoutest⟩ hearts to hear them, and the houses were ⟨filled⟩ with tears and lamentations. Nothing ⟨was⟩ heard in the day, but the dismal cry, “Pray ⟨for⟩ us,” and in the night the horrid call, “Bring ⟨out⟩ your dead,” and scarce any thing vendible ⟨except⟩ coffins. Sometimes persons dropped down ⟨dead⟩ in the streets; many died without any warning not knowing they had the plague; and ⟨others⟩ had only time to go to the next porch or door, ⟨sit⟩ down, and die, unnoticed and disregarded ⟨by⟩ the passengers.
