Pepys diary entries November 1665

 

 a son of the landlady of Pepys Greenwich lodging was feared with plague so they sent for the medical plasters of the time and "fume", an incense believed to have medicinal properties. This entry may be the first time a form of isolation is mentioned, or at least close interaction. (4/11)

"They sayled from midnight, and come to Greenwich about 5 o’clock in the morning. I however lay till about 7 or 8, and so to my office, my head a little akeing, partly for want of natural rest, partly having so much business to do to-day, and partly from the newes I hear that one of the little boys at my lodging is not well; and they suspect, by their sending for plaister and fume, that it may be the plague; so I sent Mr. Hater and W. Hewer to speake with the mother; but they returned to me, satisfied that there is no hurt nor danger, but the boy is well, and offers to be searched, however, I was resolved myself to abstain coming thither for a while."

there has been discussion about the illogical nature of the spread of the plague, rampant in some areas, sparse in others. But now the fear the entire city has been infected. (5/11)

"To dinner, where a great deale of silly discourse, but the worst is I hear that the plague increases much at Lambeth, St. Martin’s and Westminster, and fear it will all over the city."

so discussion of being glad to be out of the city, but his concerns not being so great as to refrain from interacting with his mistress and "do whatever he wanted" with her, with a bit of plague water; a concoction that won't cure you of the sickness but make you so intoxicated you won't care you have it anyway. (8/11)

"walking up and down the fields till it was dark night, that ‘je allais a la maison of my valentine, —[Bagwell’s wife]— and there ‘je faisais whatever je voudrais avec’ her, and, about eight at night, did take water, being glad I was out of the towne; for the plague, it seems, rages there more than ever, and so to my lodgings, where my Lord had got a supper and the mistresse of the house, and her daughters, and here staid Mrs. Pierce to speake with me about her husband’s business, and I made her sup with us, and then at night my Lord and I walked with her home, and so back again. My Lord and I ended all we had to say as to his business overnight, and so I took leave, and went again to Mr. Glanville’s and so to bed, it being very late."

more talk of neighbors dying from the plague, but also discussion of a brutal riding accident. (10/11)

"In the evening newes is brought me my wife is come: so I to her, and with her spent the evening, but with no great pleasure, I being vexed about her putting away of Mary in my absence, but yet I took no notice of it at all, but fell into other discourse, and she told me, having herself been this day at my house at London, which was boldly done, to see Mary (Pepys chambermaid, who left the household upon being engaged) have her things, that Mr. Harrington, our neighbour, an East country merchant, is dead at Epsum of the plague, and that another neighbour of ours, Mr. Hollworthy, a very able man, is also dead by a fall in the country from his horse, his foot hanging in the stirrup, and his brains beat out. Here we sat talking, and after supper to bed."

more discussion, albeit bleak, about the spread of the plague and the impact it is having on local merchants. (14/11)

"This day, calling at Mr. Rawlinson’s (a wine merchant) to know how all did there, I hear that my pretty grocer’s wife, Mrs. Beversham, over the way there, her husband is lately dead of the plague at Bow, which I am sorry for, for fear of losing her neighbourhood."

the Bill of Mortality, the weekly death statistics, were now being watched with a certain intensity and being compared with previous data entries. (15/11)

"The Plague, blessed be God! is decreased 400; making the whole this week but 1300 and odd; for which the Lord be praised!"

news that a work colleague and an associate who had wined a dined at local taverns was dead of the sickness. (20/11)

"Here I find Mr. Deering come to trouble me about business, which I soon dispatched and parted, he telling me that Luellin (Peter Llewellyn) hath been dead this fortnight, of the plague, in St. Martin’s Lane, which much surprised me."

relief to hear a work associate is alive and plague numbers are decreasing. An early newspaper contained the serious information reflecting the time. There is some good news; news of the impending cold weather. (22/11)

"I heard this day that Mr. Harrington is not dead of the plague, as we believed, at which I was very glad, but most of all, to hear that the plague is come very low; that is, the whole under 1,000, and the plague 600 and odd: and great hopes of a further decrease, because of this day’s being a very exceeding hard frost, and continues freezing. This day the first of the Oxford Gazettes come out, which is very pretty, full of newes, and no folly in it."

the worst time of the plague was in the summer of 1665, the cold weather killed off rats and bacteria, so the spread of the plague slowed down. At this point, good news, winter was on the way. (23/11)

"It continuing to be a great frost, which gives us hope for a perfect cure of the plague"

observations regarding the abatement of the plague in regards to everyday commerce. Something we all yearn for here right now. (24/11)

"Up, and after doing some business at the office, I to London, and there, in my way, at my old oyster shop in Gracious Streete, bought two barrels of my fine woman of the shop, who is alive after all the plague, which now is the first observation or inquiry we make at London concerning everybody we knew before it. So to the ’Change (the Royal Exchange), where very busy with several people, and mightily glad to see the ’Change so full, and hopes of another abatement still the next week. Off the ’Change I went home with Sir G. Smith to dinner, sending for one of my barrels of oysters, which were good, though come from Colchester, where the plague hath been so much."

so good news regarding decreasing numbers and subsequent increasing activity, but still some news to generate some pause for concern. (30/11)

"Great joy we have this week in the weekly Bill, it being come to 544 in all, and but 333 of the plague; so that we are encouraged to get to London soon as we can. And my father writes as great news of joy to them, that he saw Yorke’s waggon go again this week to London, and was full of passengers; and tells me that my aunt Bell hath been dead of the plague these seven weeks."

maybe this month could be seen as a metaphor, but maybe a paradox, for now and here in this state of Victoria. London is opening up as the numbers decrease as the colder months are approaching. We are still locked down as the summer months are approaching.