ceiv’d it in the ordinary Way of Infection from ſome Body, or the Cloaths, or touch, or ſtench of ſome Body that was infected before.
The Manner of its coming firſt to London, proves this alſo, (viz.) by Goods brought over from Holland, and brought thither from the Levant; the firſt breaking of it out in a Houſe in Long-Acre, where thoſe Goods were carried, and firſt opened; its ſpreading from that Houſe to other Houſes, by the viſible unwary converſing with thoſe who were ſick, and the infecting the Pariſh Officers who were employed about the Perſons dead, and the like; theſe are known Authorities for this great Foundation Point, that it went on, and proceeded from Perſon to Perſon, and from Houſe to Houſe, and no otherwiſe: In the firſt Houſe that was infected there died four Perſons, a Neighbour hearing the Miſtreſs of the firſt Houſe was ſick, went to viſit her, and went Home and gave the Diſtemper to her Family, and died, and all her Houſhold. A Miniſter call’d to pray with the firſt ſick Perſon in the ſecond Houſe, was ſaid to ſicken immediately, and die with ſeveral more in his Houſe: Then the Phyſicians began to conſider, for they did not at firſt dream of a general Contagion. But the Phyſicians being ſent to inſpect the Bodies, they aſſur’d the People that it was neither more or leſs than the Plague with all its terrifying Particulars, and that it threatned an univerſal Infection, ſo many People having already convers’d with the Sick or Diſtemper’d, and having, as might be ſuppos’d, received Infection from them, that it would be impoſſible to put a ſtop to it.
Here the Opinion of the Phyſicians agreed with my Obſervation afterwards, namely, that the Danger was ſpreading inſenſibly; for the Sick cou’d infect none but thoſe that came within reach of the ſick Perſon; but that one Man, who may have
