The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-09-14
WHOLE NO. 1850.
THE PESTU.FNCE

p"gue IN London, in the last nnmber of The
L Io'eStant Eplscopalian, published in PhiladeI.
trac, e. =. aPPears IN that journal as {" An ex-
,bor 81 r" IN scene OF the pcstcnce-by the au
terest of ~ LAST OF The Plantaganets'' The in
: Ieies1 OF me narration is not lessened bv tba
F''''i'uous style of the author.
1t was on the 21st of August ahont .utr,oL
IN the evening, that, after having cananoanJod
myself unto the Lords protecti6n ,',h;ps, 90
gageG On 1his errand of mercy, embraced the
f ortbP f members OF my good family. and set
&c GnII I'm Noicnesler. can recall even now.
as freshly as if it were an event bnt rs non,or
day. what my feelings were as I ;or 1854
alohg. The evening was calm and beantifnl
.ne ar pure and balmy, and each little VILLAGE
sn,ough winch l passed seemed TO renosa neacs-
iuily IN the bright glow Of the setting s,p T.,
my own thoughts contrasted the Serene and
| l1Vely looks OF nature around me. with the
p.a.ue- doomed city whittier was speeding !:
or sn me tainted air, laden with death, was
Ia iyihg ueso,atlon into every dwelling Then
did my spirit become disauieted wibin mo -
gazing on the telds of corn now ripe for The
sickle, mcthought the time OF nv oatber;rc, =,
was also come, and haply might arrive, even he
,ore tne wheat from those goodly fields should
| be laid up in the garner
Sot, an me never, never shall l forget the
sight which / beheld, when, upon The third
! evening after my departure, drew near to the
vvliiage OF Bow, distant but a few miles from
LONDON. The roads were blocked I'M with
many and divers kinds of carriages laden with
goods, IN which were the terrified owners with
Their wives and children some weepino bitter
~, some giving themselves up unto the widest
expressions OF grief, and others in state of
profound abstraction and melancholy whilst
al, oy Inc haggardness of their looks, proclaim
go the mighty power ofthat direful scouroe from
the which they were thus affrightedly hurry
ing away. There was, moreover, a vast null
tltudc on loot, yet noted that each persen. mr.
rather each party, did strive to avoid informing.
ling with the other and some, too. were in So
weak state, arising, perhaps, from terror. that
oeing deserted by their company they had sunk
en- down 6y The road side, or in the neighboring
heds, waiting until death should release them
from their sufferings. know not how sbonId
nave passed through this hapless thronp. had
not espied one of the city provison-carts going
townwards the driver of which, for small nav
theht, oid allow me to get therein and dis
covered that constables, and others Amounted
oy the city, were placed in various parts of the
road to remove all distractions, in order that
these carts chould pass freely / aiightsd. and
then proceeded on my way a-foot in which
progress could not but note how that the nub.
lie road looked, at Whitschapel, more like a
green held than a street Of concourse the grass
having grown not only on the lower part, near
the church, but on that part also which was
paved
shall not here set down the lamentable cries
which ever and anon assaulted my ears as mr.
sued my course to Bishopsgate-some crvino
out for clergymen TO come and pray with them:
others calling upon God for pardon and mercv.
and all either iamenting their own sickness. or
mourning over others who were but newIu
dead. Nor shall now attempt TO consider the
words uttered by that poor maniac whom met
at Aidgate,-one Solomon Eagle. as he was
cailed-who went about denouncing vet farther
Judgment upon The city: Truly, his appearance
and manner were appalling: for he v as of larre
stature, having hideous features, now distorted
oy PhrenZy, and loud sepulchral voice. rem.
uered hoarse and horrible by incessant cry;nr
out 10 inc multitude. He had, moreover. cloth
ed himself in sackcloth, and carried upon his
mead a pan OF burning charcoal. AS he hurried
Wildly along, proclaiming Gods wrath upon a
sinful people, and prophesying of greater and
greater woes that were yet TO come. his eve did
sometimes kindle into so fearful rare, and
there was such terrific gladness in his coun-
tenance, that | could almost have persuaded
myself, lbeheld in the likeness of man the arch
fond himself, rejoicing in the misery before
him, and exulting in the knowledge of that ten
fold deeper anguish which was to follow.
passed on, and, sick at heart and wearied
with my journey, entered a well known inn.
J
| retired early to my chamber, in hope to pro-
cure some little rest, of which both body and
mind stood so greatly in need. But about mid
night was aroused from my bed by the mos:
dreadful clamor of oaths and execratiops which
proceeded, found, from the room beneath me
wherein, as afterwards learned, a comnanv of
protane young men assembled every night, and,
unconcerned as to the calamity arosnd them,
or peradventnre in desperation thus STRANGELY
and distractedly prepared for their own deaths,
like unto seamen in laundering ships, by drink
} ing to excess of maddening liquors The sound
of their wild merriment still rings in nv ears,
whilst / cast glance back upon the terrors of
that awful night Oh the mercy and forbear-
ance OF the Lord | rose from my bed, and
looked from my easement. The night was dark
and oppressive with heat-but it was not the
heat OF summer. The air seemed too thick to
breathe, and felt a sense of suffocation as in
hailed 1T ; while there was burning glow in the
! dense and stagnant mass, " hich, as | opened
the window, struck upon my face like the blast
} from furnace. A little removed from The
house, at the corner of the street, one of those
large fires was burning, which the physicians
, had ordered to be lighted, in the vain hope o
purifying the atmosphere. A long cloud O
black smoke rose slowly from its smouderipo
ashes, and ever and anon flames broke forth
with iurid glance upon the opposite buildings
: disclosing the red crosses marked upon thost
S houses where the plague ragged and coul,
!, also dimly discern at intervals the muffled fig
, ures, and hear the hollow sounding steps of III,
d watchmen, who with the wands Of office in thei
1t hands, paced slowly before the infected dwell
1t ings! AS stood gazing and almost bowilder.
10 ed by tho solitariness and awful glance of tn
scene, my senses were recalled by the heav,
strokes Of distant bell, which, blended will
J, other sounds, soon fell more distinctly on tn,
-. ear. A cart, proceeded by tive or three mel
10 bearing torches, came rumbling along, and stop
I, ~ ped under the window at which stood where
upon an involuntary exclamation of horror
! burst from me, as my eyes fell upon dense
y heap Of human bodies within it, many of whicl
: were destitute OF the slightest covering. The
pu bell again sounded, and one of tho burgers sem
~ forth the dismal cry of" BRING OUT YOUR DEAD!
Al this moment heard the easement OF The
lower room OPEN and the dissoute wretches
who were sill at their cups, shouted back il
IN, answer, mocking the tones of the men, " Cal
an again We deaths heads; well be ready by to
All ollO xyaA. 49,