lived. After having knocked twice at the door of the house indicated, a servant appeared at the balcony over the entrance, and informed him, in answer to his inquiries, that the alderman, after

having supplied himself with provisions, had locked up the doors several weeks ago, since which he held communication with no one, and suffered neither ingress nor egress. This precaution, as Jocelyn subsequently found, had been practised by several other families, and in most cases proved effectual. He desired that his name might be conveyed to the alderman; but being assured it would be utterly unavailing in inducing him to grant him an interview, he inquired which was the nearest place where he could find a lodging, at least for a night or two. "There is the Moses and Aaron public-house, at the corner of Jewin Street,” replied the man, "and there is a lodging-house only two doors off; but whether they will take you in at present I cannot say."

To the latter our hero betook himself in pre

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ference; and, ringing at the bell, was answered by a woman from the window, who asked him what he wanted. He answered that he had just arrived from abroad, in total ignorance of the contagion; and, being disappointed of a residence in the house of his friend, Alderman Staunton, was in want of a lodging. "Have you a pass from Sir John Lawrence, the lord mayor, or a certificate of health ?" inquired the woman. have nothing," he replied, "but a receipt for my luggage and effects, which were only landed this morning at Stepney, as you may see by the date of the paper:" and he held it up in confirmation of his statement. "Your ruddy face is the best certificate of health," said the woman; " and I were base and ungrateful indeed, to shut my door against any friend of the worthy alderman, to whose bounty I am indebtd even for the house in which I live. Come in." The door was presently opened; and, as he entered, the woman ejaculated, "May God spare this house, and all that are in it !" to which Jocelyn replied,

"Amen!" and with this solemn welcome he was ushered into the parlour.

At that period of general mortality and depopulation, persons were not easily found to perform the menial offices of life, and even where they could be had, many preferred executing the most servile duties themselves, to the risk consequent upon the employment of a stranger. Participating in this feeling, Jocelyn set off the next morning for Stepney, in order to make arrangements for getting his effects conveyed to his present lodgings, as he intended to quit London, without delay, as soon as he could learn tidings of Tracy, or ascertain where the Court were fixed. The Court had, in the first instance, removed to Hampton, for the purpose of avoiding the infection; but deeming its vicinity to the metropolis objectionable, they had subsequently withdrawn to Salisbury; and it was now rumoured that they were about to fly from that city, and establish themselves at Oxford. At Brambletye he was loth to present

himelf, until he could appease the irritated Sir John with some prospect of his restoration to favour; and he had, moreover, a vehement objection against again encountering the welcome of such a step-mother as the Juffrouw. Warned by the woman of the house where he lodged, against entering any of the hackney-coaches, many of which had been employed in conveying infected persons, he set out for Stepney on foot, meeting the same desolating sights as had appalled him on the day before. Some were weeping, sobbing, and wringing their hands; some shrieked aloud in an uncontrollable agony; others were walking forwards with uplifted hands, praying and calling upon God for mercy; and in Leadenhall Street he met the enthusiast Solomon Eagle, naked from the waist upwards, like the poor wretch of the day before, bearing a pan of burning charcoal on his head, and crying aloud, as Jonah did to Nineveh, "Yet a few days, and London shall be destroyed!"

All those who heard him seemed to be

astounded by his awful manner and terrible denunciations. Whenever he stopped he pointed to the sky; and the poor panic-stricken creatures that followed him, fell into ecstasies of terror as they looked upwards, crying out that they saw hearses and coffins in the air, and heaps of dead bodies lying unburied, and a naked sword with the point downwards ready to fall upon their heads, and the bare arm of the Lord stretched forth from the heavens and pouring out the phial of his wrath over the devoted city. Indeed it appeared to Jocelyn that the plague had extended itself to the faculties of the people, the contagion having often completely disordered the minds of those who had hitherto preserved their bodies from infection.

In the melancholy frame of mind which such scenes might be naturally supposed to inspire, he found his way to Stepney, where he was obliged to wait for several hours; the woman to whom he had entrusted his effects having gone to Deptford with her brother the fisherman.