ners, and by the Searchers, as having died of other Diſtempers.
This, I ſay, will account for the long Interval, which, as I have ſaid, was between the dying of the firſt Perſons that were returend in the Bill to be dead of the Plague, and the time when the Diſtemper ſpread openly, and could not be conceal’d.
Beſides, the Weekly Bills themſelves at that time. evidently diſcover this Truth; for while there was no Mention of the Plague, and no Increaſe, after it had been mentioned, yet it was apparent, that there was an Encreaſe of thoſe Diſtempers which bordered neareſt upon it, for Example there were Eight, Twelve, Seventeen of the Spotted Fever in a Week, when there were none, or but very few of the Plague; whereas before One, Three, or Four, were the ordinary Weekly Numbers of that Diſtemper; likewiſe, as I obſerved before, the Burials increaſed Weekly in that particular Pariſh, and the Pariſhes adjacent, more than in any other Pariſh, altho’ there were none ſet down of the Plague; all which tells us, that the Infection was handed on, and the Succeſſion of the Diſtemper really preſerv’d, tho’ it ſeem’d to us at that time to be ceaſed, and to come again in a manner ſurpriſing.
It might be alſo, that the Infection might remain in other parts of the ſame Parcel of Goods which at firſt it came in, and which might not be perhaps opened, or at leaſt not fully, or in the Cloths of the firſt infected Perſon; for I cannot think, that any Body could be ſeiz’d with the Contagion in a fatal and mortal Degree for nine Weeks together, and ſupport his State of Health ſo well, as even not to diſcover it to themſelves; yet if it were ſo, the Argument is the ſtronger in Favour of what I am ſaying; namely, that the Infection is retain’d in Bodies apparently well, and convey’d from them to thoſe they
