Kitty started, and lowered her Voice; for we were not on speaking Terms with him; however, she squeezed my Arm and said softly, “It really is becoming Something like a Whale now, though!” On which, Master Braidfoot burst into one of his ringing Laughs, and cried, “Why, Kitty, you give it as many Faces as the Moon! What will you fancy it next?”
“I wonder what it means,” says she, very gravely.
“Means?” said her Husband, still laughing; “why, it means we shall have some more wet Weather. So we’ll put off our Pleasure Party. See what a red Flame the setting Sun casts all along the City!”
About a Week after this, our Neighbour, Master Benskin, gave my Father a little Pamphlet of four Leaves, writ by his Lodger; the Title of which was truly tremendous. It was this,—
“Strange News from the West! being a true and perfect Account of several Miraculous Sights seen in the Air westward, on Thursday last, by divers Persons of Credit, standing on London Bridge between Seven and Eight of the Clock. Two great Armies marching forth of two Clouds, and encountering each other; but, after a sharp Dispute, they suddenly vanished. Also, some remarkable Sights that were seen to issue forth of a Cloud that seemed like a Mountain, in the Shapes of a Bull, a Bear, a Lyon, and an Elephant with a Castle on his Back; and the Manner how they all vanished.”
“Well,” said my Father, turning the Leaf, “is it dedicated to Mistress Braidfoot? Here seems to be much Ado about Nothing, I think.”
“Nothing or Something,” said Master Benskin, laughing, and jingling his Pockets, “it has enabled my Lodger to pay up seven Weeks’ Arrears; so it’s an ill Wind that blows Nobody any Good. The Trifle has had a Run, Sir!”
“So this is the Way Books are made, and Stories are vamped up,” said my Father. “Truly, it makes one serious.”
But, a little Time after, a Rumour was repeated in the Shop that did indeed make one serious, to wit, that the Plague was in Holland, and would very likely come across to us. However, though the following Year it did indeed rage very badly in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, yet it crossed not the Water for another twelve Months or more; and as we had no such Things as printed Newspapers in those Days, such as I have lived to see since, Reports did not instantly spread over the whole Nation as they do now.
Howbeit, at the latter End of November, 1664, there really were two Cases of Plague in Long Acre, which frightened People a good deal. A third Man afterwards died of the same Distemper in the same House, which kept alive our Uneasiness; but after that, nothing was heard of it for six Weeks or more, when it broke out beyond Concealment.