may be propagated; alſo, that heat in the Air, or heat of Weather, as we ordinarly call it, makes Bodies relax and faint, exhauſts the Spirits, opens the Pores, and makes us more apt to receive Infection, or any evil Influence, be it from noxious peſtilential Vapors, or any other Thing in the Air: But that the heat of Fire, and eſpecially of Coal Fires kept in our Houſes, or near us, had a quite different Operation, the Heat being not of the ſame Kind, but quick and fierce, tending not to nouriſh but to conſume, and diſſipate all thoſe noxious Fumes, which the other kind of Heat rather exhaled, and ſtagnated, than ſeparated, and burnt up; beſides it was alledg’d, that the ſulphurous and nitrous Particles, that are often found to be in the Coal, with that bituminous Subſtance which burns, are all aſſifting to clear and purge the Air, and render it wholſom and ſafe to breath in, after the noctious Particles as above are diſpers’d and burnt up.
The latter Opinion prevail’d at that Time, and as I muſt confeſs I think with good Reaſon, and the Experience of the Citizens confirm’d it, many Houſes which had conſtant Fires kept in the Rooms, having never been infected at all; and I muſt join my Experience to it, for I found the keeping good Fires kept our Rooms ſweet and wholſom, and I do verily believe made our whole Family ſo, more than would otherwiſe have been.
But I return to the Goals as a Trade, it was with no little difficulty that this Trade was kept open, and particularly becauſe as we were in an open War with the Dutch, at that Time, the Dutch Capers at firſt took a great many of our Collier Ships, which made the reſt cautious, and made them to ſtay to come in Fleets together: But after ſome time, the Capers were either afraid to take them, or their Maſters, the States, were afraid they ſhould, and forbad them, left the Plague ſhould be
