The causes of the discontents in relation to the plague, and the provisions against it, fairly stated and consider'd / [Anon].

  • Edmund Gibson
Date:
1721
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The causes of the discontents in relation to the plague, and the provisions against it, fairly stated and consider'd / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The true Caufes of the Discontents, in relation to the Provisions againft the Plague. H E Plague and the Approach of it, is a very terribleCon- fideration, in the mod fa¬ vourable View that the Mind can form of it, and with the belt Expedients that the Wit of Man can find, to prevent or check it. Whether we are to be fhut up among infe&ed rerfons within our own Walls, and whole Families are in effedl to be put under the Sentence of Death; or whether the infe&ed Member is to be given up, and as it were facrificed for the Safety of the reft; either Way, the Scene is very dreadful, and the Thought of it {hocking to human Nature. And as it is in all defperate Cafes, where the Nature of the Diftemper requires uncommon Me¬ thods, and particularly where the Lofs of a Member is to compound for Life; fo will it be in this: The Hand that admini- fters Help and performs the Operation, will be thought cruel, tho’ it be never fo evident, that nothing but that Cruelty frauds between us and Death. I will add, That if in extreme Cafes of this kind, Men were left to their own Choice of an Ex¬ pedient, either to prevent or cure ; they would generally chufe that which is moft indulgent to the Fears and Weakneffes of human Nature ; that is, the very worft. Where theDifeafeis defperate, the Reme¬ dy muft be fo too ; and to dwell upon Rights and Liberties, and the Eafe and Convenience of Mankind, in cafe of afud- den Invafion, or the Plague hanging over our Heads, is as wild a Way of Reafon- ing, as if under a malignant .Fever we fhould in lift upon being dealt with in all refpedts like Men in perfedl Health ; or expedl that our Merchandifes fhould be preferv’d as facredly in a Storm, as in the gentleft Gale; or fhould gravely in lift that our Houfe is our Caftle, when the entring and blowing it up is neceffary to ftop the Progrefs of a raging Fire. It is this Weaknefs in the Minds of Men (the not framing and adapting our Thoughts to the real Condition of Things, and, particularly, our reafoning upon a State of the greateft Danger becaufe it is not juft at Hand, as if we were in a A 2 State