e their
courage to their ignorance, and despising the hand of their Maker--which
is a criminal kind of desperation, and not a true courage.

I cannot but leave it upon record that the civil officers, such as
constables, head-boroughs, Lord Mayor's and sheriffs'-men, as also
parish officers, whose business it was to take charge of the poor, did
their duties in general with as much courage as any, and perhaps with
more, because their work was attended with more hazards, and lay more
among the poor, who were more subject to be infected, and in the most
pitiful plight when they were taken with the infection. But then it must
be added, too, that a great number of them died; indeed it was scarce
possible it should be otherwise.

I have not said one word here about the physic or preparations that we
ordinarily made use of on this terrible occasion--I mean we that went
frequently abroad and up down street, as I did; much of this was talked
of in the books and bills of our quack doctors, of whom I have
said enough already. It may, however, be added, that the College of
Physicians were daily publishing several preparations, which they had
considered of in the process of their practice, and which, being to be
had in print, I avoid repeating them for that reason.

One thing I could not help observing: what befell one of the quacks, who
published that he had a most excellent preservative against the plague,
which whoever kept about them should never be infected or liable to
infection. This man, who, we may reasonably suppose, did not go abroad
without some of this excellent preservative in his pocket, yet was taken
by the distemper, and carried off in two or three days.

I am not of the number of the physic-haters or physic-despisers; on the
contrary, I have often mentioned the regard I had to the dictates of
my particular friend Dr Heath; but yet I must acknowledge I made use of
little or nothing--except, as I have observed, to keep a preparation
of strong scent to have ready, in case I met with anything of offensive
smells or went too near any burying-place or dead body.

Neither did I do what I know some did: keep the spirits always high and
hot with cordials and wine and such things; and which, as I observed,
one learned physician used himself so much to as that he could not leave
them off when the infection was quite gone, and so became a sot for all
his life after.

I remember my friend the doctor used to say that there