A journal of the plague year, or, Memorials of the great pestilence in London, in 1665 / by Daniel De Foe. Revised edition with historical notes by E. W. Brayley ... Also, some account of the great fire in London in 1666, by Gideon Harvey ... with an appendix containing the Earl of Clarendon's account of the fire. With illustrations on steel by George Cruikshank.

  • Daniel Defoe
Date:
[1881]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A journal of the plague year, or, Memorials of the great pestilence in London, in 1665 / by Daniel De Foe. Revised edition with historical notes by E. W. Brayley ... Also, some account of the great fire in London in 1666, by Gideon Harvey ... with an appendix containing the Earl of Clarendon's account of the fire. With illustrations on steel by George Cruikshank. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    3D entii-ely mistaken, for we had no droughty season, but in the beginning of the year a hard frost, which lasted from December almost to March; and after that, moderate weather, rather warm than hot, with refreshing winds, and, in short, very seasonable weather; and also several very great rains.* Some endeavours were used to suppress the printing of such books as terrified the people, and to frighten the dispersers of them, some of whom were taken up, but nothing [farther] was done in it, as I am informed; the Government being unwilling to exasperate the people, who were, as I may say, all out of their wits already. Neither can I acquit those ministers that, in their sermons, rather sunk than lifted up the hearts of their hearers : many of them, no doubt, did it for the strength- ening the resolution of the people, and especially for quickening them to repentance; but it certainly answered not their end, at least not in proportion to the injury it did another way; and, indeed, as God himself, through the whole Scriptures, rather draws to him by invitations, and calls to turn to him and live, than drives us by terror and amazements; so, I must confess, I thought the minis- ters should have done also, imitating our blessed Lord and Master in this, that his whole gospel is full of declarations from heaven of God's mercy, and his readiness to receive * In this De Foe is incorrect.—Dr. Baynard, an eminent physician of that day, has remarked in his Observations on the Seasons, &c., that there was such a general calm and serenity of weather, as if both, wind and rain had been expelled the kingdom; and that for many weeks together he could not discover the least breath of wind, not even so much as to move a fane ; and the fires in the streets with great difiiculty were made to burn, through the great scarcity of nitre foxygen ?] in the air ; and by the extreme rarefaction thereof the birds did pant for breath, especially those of the larger sort, who were like- wise observed to fly mnre heavily than usual.—See, also, Appendix, No. I.