in condition for anybody to touch or come near them.

Indeed, the distress of the people at this seafaring end of the town was
very deplorable, and deserved the greatest commiseration. But, alas I
this was a time when every one's private safety lay so near them that
they had no room to pity the distresses of others; for every one had
death, as it were, at his door, and many even in their families, and
knew not what to do or whither to fly.

This, I say, took away all compassion; self-preservation, indeed,
appeared here to be the first law. For the children ran away from their
parents as they languished in the utmost distress. And in some places,
though not so frequent as the other, parents did the like to their
children; nay, some dreadful examples there were, and particularly two
in one week, of distressed mothers, raving and distracted, killing their
own children; one whereof was not far off from where I dwelt, the poor
lunatic creature not living herself long enough to be sensible of the
sin of what she had done, much less to be punished for it.

It is not, indeed, to be wondered at: for the danger of immediate death
to ourselves took away all bowels of love, all concern for one
another. I speak in general, for there were many instances of immovable
affection, pity, and duty in many, and some that came to my knowledge,
that is to say, by hearsay; for I shall not take upon me to vouch the
truth of the particulars.

To introduce one, let me first mention that one of the most deplorable
cases in all the present calamity was that of women with child, who,
when they came to the hour of their sorrows, and their pains come upon
them, could neither have help of one kind or another; neither midwife
or neighbouring women to come near them. Most of the midwives were dead,
especially of such as served the poor; and many, if not all the midwives
of note, were fled into the country; so that it was next to impossible
for a poor woman that could not pay an immoderate price to get any
midwife to come to her--and if they did, those they could get were
generally unskilful and ignorant creatures; and the consequence of this
was that a most unusual and incredible number of women were reduced to
the utmost distress. Some were delivered and spoiled by the rashness and
ignorance of those who pretended to lay them. Children without
number were, I might say, murdered by the same but a more justifiable
ignorance: pretending they would save