Τ

Holborn. You will see,pin two or three weeks more, what dreadful havoc it will make. megs 100b et aqo of quicz Senj zaw

1st. B. What shall we do, brother? What will become of us all? and what will become of the business?1932 bits,wob te

2d. B. Nay, what will/become of our souls? I am undone, if I stay here; I will go over to Frances bod V6 8 be

1st. B. Alas! it is too late for thats brother before you can get thither all their ports will be locked up; they will not dets ad vessel from England comen near them, you may be sure. b 290 ai 9790 I •VD odiotm 2dB I am sure it is too late for some? thing else; I have mocked God with that part once already. bosbui yA & b blst. B. You are enough to terrify one to death: let us see a little about us, before we talk thus. 8 arw od sugslq odt 2d. B. O brother, you do by the danger as Iohave done by my preparations put it off as long as you can. You talk of seeing a about us why you will seeeimla very fewit days the plague will be about us, and now room to escape from it. warrant you, if you go but as far as the Exchange, you wills see "people preparing to get out of this ti dreadful city as fast as they can, and alli

trade in a kind of stagnation: and it is time indeed it should be so.

1st. B. I do not see that we can go out of it, at least not I; unless I give up all our business, and leave every thing to be ruined, and to be a booty to the next comer.

2d. B. I am sure if I stay here I shall look on myself as a dead man.

1st. B. I hope not, brother; all do not perish in the worst plague. Though the plague were to come, sure it would leave some of us behind.

1st. B. Why not? I hope you will: do not be frighted.

2d. B. Oh I have mocked God, I say,' with my former preparations. When I was justly alarmed, I pretended repentance and reformation; but when the fright was over, and we flattered ourselves that the destroying angel had passed, I cooled and abated in my v warmth, and became the same loose wicked fellow I was before. I have broken all my vows and resolutions, and dropped my preparations; and how can I go about the same work again now?

1st. B. I hope it will not be too late: you talk like a distracted man: why it

isu never too late to call. upon God for

mercy.

2d. B. No, but it may be too late to obtain it. Besides, when the distemper comes amongst us, what time, what temper, what power to look up? What capacity to look inward? What calling upon God in the agonies of a plague swelling, or in the distraction of the fever? It is too late, brother; it should have been done before. I am almost distracted already with the thoughts of it.

༄།

1

1st. B. You will distract yourself and me too at this rate: why, what must be done? #

2d. B. I may well say, Lord be merciful to me! for I am at my wits' ends, and know not what to do. I wish you would let us shut up the counting house, and be gone.

1st. B. Be gone! whither shall we go? 2d. B. Nay, any where; I am sure I shall never be able to stand it; my very heart dies within me at the apprehensions and fright of it..

t

1st. B. But you must endeavour to rouse up your spirits, and not be cast down. qqeth 2d. B. Oh brother, whose heart can endure, or whose hands be strong, in the day that God shall deal with him? God is

now taking us all into his own hands; we shall no more be able to trifle with him; repenting, and going back, and repenting again, and going back again. Oh it is Ohmitels dreadful work to make a jest of our repentance as I have done!

1st. B. I beseech you, brother, compose yourself: you will die with the fright indeed, at this rate. Come, I will go out and see what I can learn of it, and what measures are to be taken.

"Thus this discourse ended also, and the elder brother went out into the city, and he found it to be all true as his brother had said; that the plague had now spread into several parishes at the other end of the town, and that there were, in particular, in the old place five or six families infected, that is, at St. Giles's near Long Acre, and about the north end of Drury Lane, Also it had spread down Drury Lane into St. Clement's parish, and the other way into St. Andrew's, Holborn; so that it apparently went forward towards the city and the next weekly bill had nine persons put in of the plague, besides those that were concealed.

3906

the

'The elder brother came home int evening, and, as he found all that his bro

300

ther had said was true, he was very anxious about it, though he did not discover it so much as his brother. In short the whole House was very melancholy. It is true, the younger 1 brother's melancholy was different from the rest, being attended with a sadness of a peculiar kind; I mean the great concern he was under for his future state. He had several conversations with his elder versat brother, which chiefly turned upon the measures that they were to take to preserve themselves, and to put their business in a posture to receive as little damage as possible by so general an interruption as it was likely to meet with: but he did not receive any manner of satisfaction or or comfort from him, in the particular thing that afflicted him; and, continuing very disconsolate, his pious sister, who was greatly concerned for him, one day, about ten days after the first conversation with his brother, came into his chamber," where he was sit"Where Doll ting very pensive and heavy, and began to

modo

comfort him. This

said, I am very

sorry to see you in this melancholy, disCouraged condition: what can I do for you?

It is a sad time with us all.

BU Po

-ord eid zodi

child, he answered, thou canst ad 21 bus gaungv9