coolly　advancing；　he　discharged　his　pistol　at　the　man；　who　instantly　fell。　　The　thieves　then　crossed　the　bridge；　passed　through　the　outward　gate；　and　made　for　the　street　close　by；　where　their　horses　awaited　them；　crying　the　while；　〃Stop　thief！　　stop　thief！〃　　Before　they　advanced　far；　Captain　Beekman　came　up　with　Blood；　who；　turning　quickly　round；　fired　his　second　pistol　at　the　head　of　his　pursuer；　but　Beekman；　suddenly　stooping；　escaped　injury；　and　sprang　at　the　throat　of　his　intended　assassin。　　A　struggle　then　ensued。　　Blood　was　a　man　of　powerful　physique；　but　Beekman　was　lithe　and　vigorous；　and　succeeded　in　holding　the　rogue　until　help　arrived。　　In　the　contest；　the　regalia　fell　to　the　ground；　when　a　fair　diamond　and　a　priceless　pearl　were　lost；　they　were；　however；　eventually　recovered。　　The　other　thieves　were　likewise　captured；　and　all　of　them　secured　in　the　Tower。
  Certain　death　now　faced　Blood；　but　the　wonderful　luck　which　had　befriended　him　during　life　did　not　desert　him　now。　　At　this　time　the　Duke　of　Buckingham　was　high　in　favour　with　the　king；　and　desirous　of　saving　one　who　had　secretly　served　him；　or　fearing　exposure　if　Blood　made　a　full　confession；　his　grace　impressed　Charles　with　a　desire　to　see　the　man　who　had　perpetrated　so　daring　a　deed；　saying　he　must　be　one　possessed　of　extraordinary　spirit。　　Giving　ready　ear　to　his　words；　the　monarch　consented　to　have　an　interview　with　the　robber；　for　which　purpose　he　gave　orders　Blood　should　be　brought　to　Whitehall。
  Those　who　heard　of　the　king's　resolution　felt　satisfied　Blood　need　not　despair　of　life；　〃for　surely；〃　said　Sir　Robert　Southwell；　on　becoming　aware　of　his　majesty's　design；　〃no　king　should　wish　to　see　a　malefactor　but　with　intentions　to　pardon　him。〃　　Now　Blood；　being　a　man　of　genius；　resolved　to　play　his　part　during　the　audience　in　a　manner　which　would　favourably　impress　the　king。　　Therefore　when　Charles　asked　him　how　he　had　dared　attempt　so　bold　a　robbery；　Blood　made　answer　he　had　lost　a　fine　property　by　the　crown；　and　was　resolved　to　recover　it　with　the　crown。　　Diverted　by　his　audacity　his　majesty　questioned　him　further；　when　Blood　confessed　to　his　attempted　abduction　of　the　Duke　of　Ormond；　but　refused　to　name　his　accomplices。　　Nay；　he　narrated　various　other　adventures；　showing　them　in　a　romantic　light；　and　finally　concluded　by　telling　the　king　he　had　once　entered　into　a　design　to　take　his　sacred　life　by　rushing　upon　him　with　a　carbine　from　out　of　the　reeds　by　the　Thames　side；　above　Battersea；　when　he　went　to　swim　there；　but　he　was　so　awed　by　majesty　his　heart　misgave　him；　and　he　not　only　relented；　but　persuaded　the　remainder　of　his　associates　from　such　an　intention。
  This　strange　interview　resulted　in　Charles　pardoning　Blood　his　many　crimes。　　The　Duke　of　Ormond；　at　his　majesty's　request；　likewise　forgave　him。　　Nor　did　the　king's　interest　in　the　villain　end　here；　for　he　gave　him　a　pension　of　five　hundred　pounds　a　year；　and　admitted　him　to　his　private　friendship。　　Blood　was　therefore　constantly　at　court；　and　made　one　of　that　strange　assembly　of　wits　and　profligates　which　surrounded　the　throne。　〃No　man；〃　says　Carte　the　historian；　〃was　more　assiduous　than　he。　If　anyone　had　a　business　at　court　that　stuck；　he　made　his　application　to　Blood　as　the　most　industrious　and　successful　solicitor；　and　many　gentlemen　courted　his　acquaintance；　as　the　Indians　pray　to　the　devil；　that　he　may　not　hurt　them。　　He　was　perpetually　in　the　royal　apartments；　and　affected　particularly　to　be　in　the　same　room　where　the　Duke　of　Ormond　was；　to　the　indignation　of　all　others；　though　neglected　and　overlooked　by　his　grace。〃
  CHAPTER　XI。
  Terror　falls　upon　the　people。Rumours　of　a　plague。A　sign　in　the　heavens。Flight　from　the　capital。Preparations　against　the　dreaded　enemy。Dr。　Boghurst's　testimony。God's　terrible　voice　in　the　city。Rules　made　by　the　lord　mayor。Massacre　of　animals。O；　dire　death！Spread　of　the　distemper。Horrible　sights。State　of　the　deserted　capital。〃Bring　out　your　dead。〃　ashes　to　ashes。Fires　are　lighted。Relief　of　the　poor。The　mortality　bills。
  It　came　to　pass　during　the　fifth　month　of　the　year　1665；　that　a　great　terror　fell　upon　the　city　of　London；　even　as　a　sombre　cloud　darkens　the　midday　sky。　　For　it　was　whispered　abroad　a　plague　had　come　amongst　the　people；　fears　of　which　had　been　entertained；　and　signs　of　which　had　been　obvious　for　some　time。　　During　the　previous　November　a　few　persons　had　fallen　victims　to　this　dreaded　pestilence；　but　the　weather　being　cold　and　the　atmosphere　clear；　it　had　made　no　progress　till　April。　　In　that　month　two　men　had　died　of　this　most　foul　disease；　and　in　the　first　week　of　May　its　victims　numbered　nine；　and　yet　another　fortnight　and　it　had　hurried　seventeen　citizens　to　the　grave。
  Now　the　memory　of　their　wickedness　rising　before　them；　dread　took　up　its　abode　in　all　men's　hearts；　for　none　knew　but　his　day　of　reckoning　was　at　hand。　　And　their　consternation　was　greater　when　it　was　remembered　that　in　the　third　year　of　this　century　thirty…　six　thousand　citizens　of　London　had　died　of　the　plague；　while　twenty…five　years　later　it　had　swept　away　thirty…five　thousand；　and　eleven　years　after　full　ten　thousand　persons　perished　of　this　same　pestilence。　　Moreover；　but　two　years　previous；　a　like　scourge　had　been　rife　in　Holland；　and　in　Amsterdam　alone　twenty…　four　thousand　citizens　had　died　from　its　effects。
  And　the　terror　of　the　citizens　of　London　was　yet　more　forcibly　increased　by　the　appearance　in　April　of　a　blazing　star　or　comet；　bearing　a　tail　apparently　six　yards　in　length；　which　rose　betimes　in　a　lurid　sky；　and　passed　with　ominous　movement　from　west　to　east。　　＇It　is　worthy　of　notice　that　Lilly　in　his　〃Astrological　Predictions；〃　published　in　1648；　declared　the　year　1656　would　be　〃ominous　to　London；　unto　her　merchants　at　sea；　to　her　traffique　at　land；　to　her　poor；　to　her　rich；　to　all　sorts　of　people　inhabiting　in　her　or　her　Liberties；　by　reason　of　sundry　fires　and　a　consuming　plague。〃＇　　The　king　with　his　queen　and　court；　prompted　by　curiosity；　stayed　up　one　night　to　watch　this　blazing　star　pass　above　the　silent　city；　the　Royal　Society　in　behalf　of　science　embodied　many　learned　comments　regarding　it　in　their　〃Philosophical　Transactions；〃　but　the　great　body　of　the　people　regarded　it　as　a　visible　signal　of　God's　certain　wrath。　　They　were　more　confirmed　in　this　opinion；　as　some　amongst　them；　whose　judgments　were　distorted　by　fears；　declared　the　comet　had　at　times　before　their　eyes　assumed　the　appearance　of　a　fiery　sword　threatening　the　sinful　city。　　It　was　also　noted　in　the　spring　of　this　year　that　birds　and　wild　fowls　had　left　their　accustomed　places；　and　few　swallows　were　seen。　　But　in　the　previous　summer　there　had　been　〃such　a　multitude　of　flies　that　they　lined　the　insides　of　houses；　and　if　any　threads　of　strings　did　hang　down　in　any　place；　they　were　presently　thick…set　with　flies　like　ropes　of　onions；　and　swarms　of　ants　covered　the　highways　that　you　might　have　taken　up　a　handful　at　a　time；　both　winged　and　creeping　ants；　and　such　a　multitude　of　croaking　frogs　in　ditches　that　you　might　have　heard　them　before　you　saw　them；〃　as　is　set　down　by　one　William　Boghurst；　apothecary　at　the　White　Hart　in　St。　Giles…in…　the…Fields；　who　wrote　a　learned　〃Treatis　on　the　Plague〃　in　1666；　he　being　the　only　man　who　up　to　that　time　had　done　so　from　experience　and　observation。　　＇This　quaint　and　curious　production；　which　has　never　been　printed；　and　which　furnishes　the　following　pages　with　some　strange　details；　is　preserved　in　the　Sloane　Collection　of　Manuscripts　in　the　British　Museum。＇　And　from　such　signs；　as　likewise　from　knowledge　that　the　pestilence　daily　increased；　all　felt　a　season　of　bitter　tribulation　was　at　hand。
  According　to　〃Some　Observations　of　the　Plague；〃　written　by　Dr。　Hedges　for　use　of　a　peer　of　the　realm；　the　dread　malady　was　communicated　to　London　from　the　Netherlands　〃by　way　of　contagion。〃　　It　first　made　its　appearance　in　the　parishes　of　St。　Giles　and　St。　Martin's；　Westminster；　from　which　directions　it　gradually　spread　to　Holborn；　Fleet　Street；　the　Strand；　and　the　city；　finally　reaching　to　the　east；　bringing　death　invariably　in　its　train。
  The　distemper　was　not　only　fatal　in　its　termination；　but　loathsome　in　its　progress；　for　the　blood　of　those　affected　being　poisoned　by　atmospheric　contagion；　bred　venom　in　the　body；　which　burst　forth　into　nauseous　sores　and　uncleanness；　or　otherwise　preyed　with　more　rapid　fatality　internally；　in　some　cases　causing　death　before　its　victims　were　assured　of　disease。　　Nor　did　it　spare　the　young　and　robust　any　more　than　those　weak　of　frame　or　ripe　with　years；　but　attacking　stealthily；　killed　speedily。　　It　was　indeed　the　〃pestilence　that　walketh　in　darkness；　and　the　destruction　that　wasteth　in　the　noonday。〃　　In　the　month　of　May；　when　it　was　yet　uncertain　if　the　city　would　be　spared　even　in　part；　persons　of　position　and　wealth；　and　indeed　those　endowed　with　sufficient　means　to　support　themselves　elsewhere；　resolved　to　fly　from　the　capital；　whilst　such　as　had　neither　home；　friends；　nor　expectation　of　employment　in　other　places；　remained　behind。　　Accordingly　great　preparations　were　made　by　those　who　determined　on　flight；　and　all　day　long　vast　crowds　gathered　round　my　lord　mayor's　house　in　St。　Helen's；　Bishopsgate；　seeking　certificates