UponthefootofalltheseobservationsImustsaythatthoughProvidenceseemedtodirectmyconducttobeotherwise,yetitismyopinion,andImustleaveitasaprescription,viz。,thatthebestphysicagainsttheplagueistorunawayfromit。IknowpeopleencouragethemselvesbysayingGodisabletokeepusinthemidstofdanger,andabletoovertakeuswhenwethinkourselvesoutofdanger;andthiskeptthousandsinthetownwhosecarcaseswentintothegreatpitsbycartloads,andwho,iftheyhadfledfromthedanger,had,Ibelieve,beensafefromthedisaster;atleast\'tisprobabletheyhadbeensafe。
Andwerethisveryfundamentalonlydulyconsideredbythepeopleonanyfutureoccasionofthisorthelikenature,Iampersuadeditwouldputthemuponquitedifferentmeasuresformanagingthepeoplefromthosethattheytookin1665,orthananythathavebeentakenabroadthatIhaveheardof。Inaword,theywouldconsiderofseparatingthepeopleintosmallerbodies,andremovingthemintimefartherfromoneanother—andnotletsuchacontagionasthis,whichisindeedchieflydangeroustocollectedbodiesofpeople,findamillionofpeopleinabodytogether,aswasverynearthecasebefore,andwouldcertainlybethecaseifitshouldeverappearagain。
Theplague,likeagreatfire,ifafewhousesonlyarecontiguouswhereithappens,canonlyburnafewhouses;orifitbeginsinasingle,or,aswecallit,alonehouse,canonlyburnthatlonehousewhereitbegins。Butifitbeginsinaclose—builttownorcityandgetsahead,thereitsfuryincreases:itragesoverthewholeplace,andconsumesallitcanreach。
Icouldproposemanyschemesonthefootofwhichthegovernmentofthiscity,ifevertheyshouldbeundertheapprehensionsofsuchanotherenemy（Godforbidtheyshould）,mighteasethemselvesofthegreatestpartofthedangerouspeoplethatbelongtothem;Imeansuchasthebegging,starving,labouringpoor,andamongthemchieflythosewho,incaseofasiege,arecalledtheuselessmouths;whobeingthenprudentlyandtotheirownadvantagedisposedof,andthewealthyinhabitantsdisposingofthemselvesandoftheirservantsandchildren,thecityanditsadjacentpartswouldbesoeffectuallyevacuatedthattherewouldnotbeaboveatenthpartofitspeoplelefttogetherforthediseasetotakeholdupon。Butsupposethemtobeafifthpart,andthattwohundredandfiftythousandpeoplewereleft:
andifitdidseizeuponthem,theywould,bytheirlivingsomuchatlarge,bemuchbetterpreparedtodefendthemselvesagainsttheinfection,andbelessliabletotheeffectsofitthanifthesamenumberofpeopleliveddosetogetherinonesmallercitysuchasDublinorAmsterdamorthelike。