s of the house grew
first ashamed, and then terrified, at them.

They sat generally in a room next the street; and as they always kept
late hours, so when the dead cart came across the street end to go into
Houndsditch, which was in view of the tavern windows, they would
frequently open the windows as soon as they heard the bell, and look out
at them; and as they might often hear sad lamentations of people in the
streets, or at their windows, as the carts went along, they would make
their impudent mocks and jeers at them, especially if they heard the
poor people call upon God to have mercy upon them, as many would do at
those times, in their ordinary passing along the streets.

These gentlemen, being something disturbed with the clutter of bringing
the poor gentleman into the house, as above, were first angry and very
high with the master of the house for suffering such a fellow, as they
called him, to be brought out of the grave into their house; but being
answered that the man was a neighbor, and that he was sound, but
overwhelmed with the calamity of his family, and the like, they turned
their anger into ridiculing the man and his sorrow for his wife and
children, taunting him with want of courage to leap into the great pit,
and go to heaven, as they jeeringly expressed it, along with them;
adding some very profane and even blasphemous expressions.

They were at this vile work when I came back to the house; and as far as
I could see, though the man sat still, mute and disconsolate, and their
affronts could not divert his sorrow, yet he was both grieved and
offended at their discourse. Upon this, I gently reproved them, being
well enough acquainted with their characters, and not unknown in person
to two of them.

They immediately fell upon me with ill language and oaths, asked me
what I did out of my grave at such a time, when so many honester men
were carried into the churchyard, and why I was not at home saying my
prayers, against[120] the dead cart came for me, and the like.

I was indeed astonished at the impudence of the men, though not at all
discomposed at their treatment of me: however, I kept my temper. I told
them that though I defied them, or any man in the world, to tax me with
any dishonesty, yet I acknowledged, that, in this terrible judgment of
God, many better than I were swept away, and carried to their grave;
but, to answer their question directly, the case was, that I was
mercifully preserved b