However,all this went off again,and the weather proving cold,and the frost,which began in December,still continuing very severe even till near the end of February,attended with sharp though moderate winds,the bills decreased again,and the city grew healthy,and everybody began to look upon the danger as good as over;only that still the burials in St Giles's continued high.From the beginning of April especially they stood at twenty-five each week,till the week from the 18th to the 25th,when there was buried in St Giles's parish thirty,whereof two of the plague and eight of the spotted-fever,which was looked upon as the same thing;likewise the number that died of the spotted-fever in the whole increased,being eight the week before,and twelve the week above-named.
This alarmed us all again,and terrible apprehensions were among the people,especially the weather being now changed and growing warm,and the summer being at hand.However,the next week there seemed to be some hopes again;the bills were low,the number of the dead in all was but 388,there was none of the plague,and but four of the spotted-fever.
But the following week it returned again,and the distemper was spread into two or three other parishes,viz.,St Andrew's,Holborn;St Clement Danes;and,to the great affliction of the city,one died within the walls,in the parish of St Mary Woolchurch,that is to say,in Bearbinder Lane,near Stocks Market;in all there were nine of the plague and six.of the spotted-fever.It was,however,upon inquiry found that this Frenchman who died in Bearbinder Lane was one who,having lived in Long Acre,near the infected houses,had removed for fear of the distemper,not knowing that he was already infected.
This was the beginning of May,yet the weather was temperate,variable,and cool enough,and people had still some hopes.That which encouraged them was that the city was healthy:the whole ninety-seven parishes buried but fifty-four,and we began to hope that,as it was chiefly among the people at that end of the town,it might go no farther;and the rather,because the next week,which was from the 9th of May to the 16th,there died but three,of which not one within the whole city or liberties;and St Andrew's buried but fifteen,which was very low.'Tis true St Giles's buried two-and-thirty,but still,as there was but one of the plague,people began to be easy.The whole bill also was very low,for the week before the bill was but 347,and the week above mentioned but 343.We continued in these hopes for a few days,but it was but for a few,for the people were no more to be deceived thus;they searched the houses and found that the plague was really spread every way,and that many died of it every day.So that now all our extenuations abated,and it was no more to be concealed;nay,it quickly appeared that the infection had spread itself beyond all hopes of abatement.that in the parish of St Giles it was gotten into several streets,and several families lay all sick together;and,accordingly,in the weekly bill for the next week the thing began to show itself.There was indeed but fourteen set down of the plague,but this was all knavery and collusion,for in St Giles's parish they buried forty in all,whereof it was certain most of them died of the plague,though they were set down of other distempers;and though the number of all the burials were not increased above thirty-two,and the whole bill being but 385,yet there was fourteen of the spotted-fever,as well as fourteen of the plague;and we took it for granted upon the whole that there were fifty died that week of the plague.
The next bill was from the 23rd of May to the 30th,when the number of the plague was seventeen.But the burials in St Giles's were fifty-three -a frightful number!-of whom they set down but nine of the plague;but on an examination more strictly by the justices of peace,and at the Lord Mayor's request,it was found there were twenty more who were really dead of the plague in that parish,but had been set down of the spotted-fever or other distempers,besides others concealed.
But those were trifling things to what followed immediately after;for now the weather set in hot,and from the first week in June the infection spread in a dreadful manner,and the bills rose high;the articles of the fever,spotted-fever,and teeth began to swell;for all that could conceal their distempers did it,to prevent their neighbours shunning and refusing to converse with them,and also to prevent authority shutting up their houses;which,though it was not yet practised,yet was threatened,and people were extremely terrified at the thoughts of it.
The second week in June,the parish of St Giles,where still the weight of the infection lay,buried 120,whereof though the bills said but sixty-eight of the plague,everybody said there had been 100at least,calculating it from the usual number of funerals in that parish,as above.
Till this week the city continued free,there having never any died,except that one Frenchman whom I mentioned before,within the whole ninety-seven parishes.Now there died four within the city,one in Wood Street,one in Fenchurch Street,and two in Crooked Lane.
Southwark was entirely free,having not one yet died on that side of the water.