An it please your worship, to make the deed nothing? I can do twenty neater, if you please To purchase and grow rich; for I will be Such a solicitor and steward for you, As never worshipful had. Wellborn I do believe thee; But first discover the quaint means you used Marrall They are mysteries Not to be spoke in public: certain minerals Besides, he gave me nothing, but still fed me With hopes and blows; and that was the inducement To call to memory, this mad beast once caused me To urge you or to drown or hang yourself; I'll do the like to him, if you command me. Wellborn You are a rascal! he that dares be false To a master, though unjust, will ne'er be true Or favor from me; I will shun thy sight As I would do a basilisk's; thank my pity, If thou keep thy ears; howe'er, I will take order Your practice shall be silenced. Some little time I have spent, under your favors, Overreach Why, is not the whole world Included in myself? to what use then Are friends and servants? Say there were a squadron Of pikes, lined through with shot, when I am mounted Upon my injuries, shall I fear to charge them? No: I'll through the battalia, and that routed, [Flourishing his sword sheathed. I'll fall to execution. Ha! I am feeble: And takes away the use of't; and my sword, Glued to my scabbard with wronged orphans' tears, Will not be drawn. Ha! what are these? sure, hangmen, That come to bind my hands, and then to drag me Before the judgment seat: now they are new shapes, And do appear like Furies, with steel whips To scourge my ulcerous soul. Shall I then fall Though you were legions of accursed spirits, [Rushes forward and flings himself on the ground. 66 THE PLAGUE OF LONDON. BY DANIEL DEFOE. (From the "Journal of the Plague Year.") [DANIEL DEFOE, English journalist and man of letters, was born in London, about 1660; died in 1731. He wrote every sort of imaginable work in prose and verse, history, biography, and fiction, political and religious controversy, social and political pamphlets, satires, and other poems. His most famous work is Robinson Crusoe " (1719); among his other novels are: "The Apparition of Mrs. Veal" (1706), "Memoirs of a Cavalier" (1720), “Captain Singleton (1720), “Moll Flanders," "Cartouche," and "Colonel Jacque " (1722), "John Sheppard" (1724); and the "Journal of the Plague Year" (1722) and "Account of Jonathan Wild” (1725) are really such. Among his pamphlets are, "The Shortest Way with Dissenters" (1702) and “ Political History of the Devil" (1726).] THERE was one Shift that some Families had, and that not a few, when their Houses happened to be infected, and that was this: The Families, who in the first breaking out of the Distemper, fled away into the Country, and had Retreats among their Friends, generally found some or other of their Neighbors or Relations to commit the Charge of those Houses to, for the Safety of the Goods, and the like. Some Houses were indeed entirely lock'd up, the Doors padlockt, the Windows and Doors having Deal-Boards nail'd over them, and only the Inspection of them committed to the ordinary Watchmen and Parish Officers; but these were but few. It was thought that there were not less than 10,000 Houses forsaken of the Inhabitants in the City and Suburbs, including what was in the Out Parishes, and in Surrey, or the Side of the Water they call'd Southwark. This was besides the Numbers of Lodgers, and of particular Persons who were fled out of other Families, so that in all it was computed that about 200,000 People were fled and gone in all: But of this I shall speak again: But I mention it here on this Account, namely, |