Defoe: Journal of the plague year
Journal of the Corona year
The gaming-tables, public dancing-rooms, and music-houses, which multiplied and began to debauch the manners of the people, were shut up and suppressed; and merry-andrews, puppet-shows, rope-dancers, and such-like doings, which had bewitched the poor common people, shut up their shops, finding indeed no trade; for the minds of the people were agitated with other things, and a kind of sadness and horror at these things sat upon the countenances even of the common people.
Death was before their eyes, and everybody began to think of their graves, not of mirth and diversions.
This shutting up of houses was at first counted a very cruel and unchristian method, and the poor people so confined made bitter lamentations.
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This put the people upon all manner of stratagem in order, if possible, to get out; and it would fill a little volume to set down the arts used by the people of such houses to shut the eyes of the watchmen who were employed, to deceive them, and to escape or break out from them, in which frequent scuffles and some mischief happened; of which by itself.
REFLECTIONS
They were as mad upon their running after quacks and mountebanks, and every practising old woman, for medicines and remedies; storing themselves with such multitudes of pills, potions, and preservatives.
They not only spent their money but even poisoned themselves beforehand for fear of the poison of the infection;
