第 11 节
作者:月寒      更新:2022-08-21 16:33      字数:9322
  about denouncing of judgement upon the city in a frightful manner;
  sometimes quite naked; and with a pan of burning charcoal on his
  head。  What he said; or pretended; indeed I could not learn。
  I will not say whether that clergyman was distracted or not; or
  whether he did it in pure zeal for the poor people; who went every
  evening through the streets of Whitechappel; and; with his hands lifted
  up; repeated that part of the Liturgy of the Church continually; 'Spare
  us; good Lord; spare Thy people; whom Thou has redeemed with Thy
  most precious blood。' I say; I cannot speak positively of these things;
  because these were only the dismal objects which represented
  themselves to me as I looked through my chamber windows (for I
  seldom opened the casements); while I confined myself within doors
  during that most violent raging of the pestilence; when; indeed; as I
  have said; many began to think; and even to say; that there would
  none escape; and indeed I began to think so too; and therefore kept
  within doors for about a fortnight and never stirred out。  But I could
  not hold it。  Besides; there were some people who; notwithstanding
  the danger; did not omit publicly to attend the worship of God; even in
  the most dangerous times; and though it is true that a great many
  clergymen did shut up their churches; and fled; as other people did;
  for the safety of their lives; yet all did not do so。  Some ventured to
  officiate and to keep up the assemblies of the people by constant
  prayers; and sometimes sermons or brief exhortations to repentance
  and reformation; and this as long as any would come to hear them。
  And Dissenters did the like also; and even in the very churches where
  the parish ministers were either dead or fled; nor was there any room
  for making difference at such a time as this was。
  It was indeed a lamentable thing to hear the miserable lamentations
  of poor dying creatures calling out for ministers to comfort them and
  pray with them; to counsel them and to direct them; calling out to God
  for pardon and mercy; and confessing aloud their past sins。  It would
  make the stoutest heart bleed to hear how many warnings were then
  given by dying penitents to others not to put off and delay their
  repentance to the day of distress; that such a time of calamity as this
  was no time for repentance; was no time to call upon God。  I wish I
  could repeat the very sound of those groans and of those exclamations
  that I heard from some poor dying creatures when in the height of
  their agonies and distress; and that I could make him that reads this
  hear; as I imagine I now hear them; for the sound seems still to ring in
  my ears。
  If I could but tell this part in such moving accents as should alarm
  the very soul of the reader; I should rejoice that I recorded those
  things; however short and imperfect。
  It pleased God that I was still spared; and very hearty and sound in
  health; but very impatient of being pent up within doors without air;
  as I had been for fourteen days or thereabouts; and I could not restrain
  myself; but I would go to carry a letter for my brother to the post…
  house。  Then it was indeed that I observed a profound silence in the
  streets。  When I came to the post…house; as I went to put in my letter I
  saw a man stand in one corner of the yard and talking to another at a
  window; and a third had opened a door belonging to the office。  In the
  middle of the yard lay a small leather purse with two keys hanging at
  it; with money in it; but nobody would meddle with it。  I asked how
  long it had lain there; the man at the window said it had lain almost an
  hour; but that they had not meddled with it; because they did not know
  but the person who dropped it might come back to look for it。  I had
  no such need of money; nor was the sum so big that I had any
  inclination to meddle with it; or to get the money at the hazard it
  might be attended with; so I seemed to go away; when the man who
  had opened the door said he would take it up; but so that if the right
  owner came for it he should be sure to have it。  So he went in and
  fetched a pail of water and set it down hard by the purse; then went
  again and fetch some gunpowder; and cast a good deal of powder
  upon the purse; and then made a train from that which he had thrown
  loose upon the purse。  The train reached about two yards。  After this
  he goes in a third time and fetches out a pair of tongs red hot; and
  which he had prepared; I suppose; on purpose; and first setting fire to
  the train of powder; that singed the purse and also smoked the air
  sufficiently。  But he was not content with that; but he then takes up the
  purse with the tongs; holding it so long till the tongs burnt through the
  purse; and then he shook the money out into the pail of water; so he
  carried it in。  The money; as I remember; was about thirteen shilling
  and some smooth groats and brass farthings。
  There might perhaps have been several poor people; as I have
  observed above; that would have been hardy enough to have ventured
  for the sake of the money; but you may easily see by what I have
  observed that the few people who were spared were very careful of
  themselves at that time when the distress was so exceeding great。
  Much about the same time I walked out into the fields towards Bow;
  for I had a great mind to see how things were managed in the river
  and among the ships; and as I had some concern in shipping; I had a
  notion that it had been one of the best ways of securing one's self from
  the infection to have retired into a ship; and musing how to satisfy my
  curiosity in that point; I turned away over the fields from Bow to
  Bromley; and down to Blackwall to the stairs which are there for
  landing or taking water。
  Here I saw a poor man walking on the bank; or sea…wall; as they call
  it; by himself。  I walked a while also about; seeing the houses all shut
  up。  At last I fell into some talk; at a distance; with this poor man; first
  I asked him how people did thereabouts。  'Alas; sir!' says he; 'almost
  desolate; all dead or sick。  Here are very few families in this part; or in
  that village' (pointing at Poplar); 'where half of them are not dead
  already; and the rest sick。' Then he pointing to one house; 'There they
  are all dead'; said he; 'and the house stands open; nobody dares go into
  it。  A poor thief'; says he; 'ventured in to steal something; but he paid
  dear for his theft; for he was carried to the churchyard too last night。'
  Then he pointed to several other houses。  'There'; says he。  'they are all
  dead; the man and his wife; and five children。  There'; says he; 'they
  are shut up; you see a watchman at the door'; and so of other houses。
  'Why;' says I; 'what do you here all alone?  ' 'Why;' says he; 'I am a
  poor; desolate man; it has pleased God I am not yet visited; though my
  family is; and one of my children dead。' 'How do you mean; then;' said
  I; 'that you are not visited?' 'Why;' says he; 'that's my house' (pointing
  to a very little; low…boarded house); 'and there my poor wife and two
  children live;' said he; 'if they may be said to live; for my wife and one
  of the children are visited; but I do not come at them。' And with that
  word I saw the tears run very plentifully down his face; and so they
  did down mine too; I assure you。
  'But;' said I; 'why do you not come at them?  How can you abandon
  your own flesh and blood?' 'Oh; sir;' says he; 'the Lord forbid! I do not
  abandon them; I work for them as much as I am able; and; blessed be
  the Lord; I keep them from want'; and with that I observed he lifted up
  his eyes to heaven; with a countenance that presently told me I had
  happened on a man that was no hypocrite; but a serious; religious;
  good man; and his ejaculation was an expression of thankfulness that;
  in such a condition as he was in; he should be able to say his family
  did not want。  'Well;' says I; 'honest man; that is a great mercy as
  things go now with the poor。  But how do you live; then; and how are
  you kept from the dreadful calamity that is now upon us all?' 'Why;
  sir;' says he; 'I am a waterman; and there's my boat;' says he; 'and the
  boat serves me for a house。  I work in it in the day; and I sleep in it in
  the night; and what I get I lay down upon that stone;' says he; showing
  me a broad stone on the other side of the street; a good way from his
  house; 'and then;' says he; 'I halloo; and call to them till I make them
  hear; and they come and fetch it。'
  'Well; friend;' says I; 'but how can you get any money as a
  waterman?  Does an body go by water these times?' 'Yes; sir;' says he;
  'in the way I am employed there does。  Do you see there;' says he; 'five
  ships lie at anchor' (pointing down the river a good way below the
  town); 'and do you see'; says he; 'eight or ten ships lie at the chain
  there; and at anchor yonder?' pointing above the town)。  'All those
  ships have families on board; of their merchants and owners; a