s with those who die of common
mortifications, who die swooning, and, as it were, go away in a dream.
Such as died thus had very little notice of their being infected at
all till the gangrene was spread through their whole body; nor could
physicians themselves know certainly how it was with them till they
opened their breasts or other parts of their body and saw the tokens.

We had at this time a great many frightful stories told us of nurses and
watchmen who looked after the dying people; that is to say, hired nurses
who attended infected people, using them barbarously, starving them,
smothering them, or by other wicked means hastening their end, that is
to say, murdering of them; and watchmen, being set to guard houses that
were shut up when there has been but one person left, and perhaps that
one lying sick, that they have broke in and murdered that body, and
immediately thrown them out into the dead-cart! And so they have gone
scarce cold to the grave.

I cannot say but that some such murders were committed, and I think two
were sent to prison for it, but died before they could be tried; and I
have heard that three others, at several times, were excused for murders
of that kind; but I must say I believe nothing of its being so common a
crime as some have since been pleased to say, nor did it seem to be so
rational where the people were brought so low as not to be able to help
themselves, for such seldom recovered, and there was no temptation to
commit a murder, at least none equal to the fact, where they were sure
persons would die in so short a time, and could not live.

That there were a great many robberies and wicked practices committed
even in this dreadful time I do not deny. The power of avarice was so
strong in some that they would run any hazard to steal and to plunder;
and particularly in houses where all the families or inhabitants have
been dead and carried out, they would break in at all hazards, and
without regard to the danger of infection, take even the clothes off the
dead bodies and the bed-clothes from others where they lay dead.

This, I suppose, must be the case of a family in Houndsditch, where
a man and his daughter, the rest of the family being, as I suppose,
carried away before by the dead-cart, were found stark naked, one in one
chamber and one in another, lying dead on the floor, and the clothes
of the beds, from whence 'tis supposed they were rolled off by thieves,
stolen and carried q