es were
known to be infected, most of the persons infected would be stone dead,
and the rest run away for fear of being shut up; so that it was to
very small purpose to call them infected houses and shut them up, the
infection having ravaged and taken its leave of the house before it was
really known that the family was any way touched.

This might be sufficient to convince any reasonable person that as
it was not in the power of the magistrates or of any human methods of
policy, to prevent the spreading the infection, so that this way of
shutting up of houses was perfectly insufficient for that end. Indeed it
seemed to have no manner of public good in it, equal or proportionable
to the grievous burden that it was to the particular families that were
so shut up; and, as far as I was employed by the public in directing
that severity, I frequently found occasion to see that it was incapable
of answering the end. For example, as I was desired, as a visitor or
examiner, to inquire into the particulars of several families which
were infected, we scarce came to any house where the plague had visibly
appeared in the family but that some of the family were fled and gone.
The magistrates would resent this, and charge the examiners with being
remiss in their examination or inspection. But by that means houses
were long infected before it was known. Now, as I was in this dangerous
office but half the appointed time, which was two months, it was long
enough to inform myself that we were no way capable of coming at the
knowledge of the true state of any family but by inquiring at the door
or of the neighbours. As for going into every house to search, that was
a part no authority would offer to impose on the inhabitants, or any
citizen would undertake: for it would have been exposing us to certain
infection and death, and to the ruin of our own families as well as of
ourselves; nor would any citizen of probity, and that could be depended
upon, have stayed in the town if they had been made liable to such a
severity.

Seeing then that we could come at the certainty of things by no method
but that of inquiry of the neighbours or of the family, and on that we
could not justly depend, it was not possible but that the uncertainty of
this matter would remain as above.

It is true masters of families were bound by the order to give notice
to the examiner of the place wherein he lived, within two hours after
he should discover it, of any p