Journal of the Plague Year

continued, by a Gentleman

It is plain that the Divine Retribution upon Popiſhneſs continues moſt ſatisfactorily, with the blaſphemous unroadlike Waterways of Venice now so bereft of Gondoliers and Giocondottiers and their aſsociated Italianate Effluvia, that the very Beds of the canals are viſible from the Surface, which hath not occurred within living Memory and will greatly diſcombobulate the Curia. The beaſtlie French are alſo much inconvenienced, as the deſpotick and ruthleſs Government of that perfidious realm hath been driven to Meaſures of the most extreme variety, including much Bluſter againſt Engliſh Tourism. It is almoſt as good as the Warre.

An anonymous Source of impeccable Credentials hath informed me, that Her Majeſty's Government wiſhes not to teſt the Populace for the diſeaſe, for fear of incurring unneceſsarie Expenſe and cauſing a Panick among the Brokers. It hath been rumoured alſo that Her Majeſty's Government wiſhes to deploy Soldiers, for fear that the City Watch will be unable to control the Populace in the event of an Epidemick. It may be even better than the Warre.

Laſt evening the Bloater & Blueſtocking Coffee-Houſe was in conſiderable Uproar, owing to the lateſt medical advice, which implyes that Free Subjects of the Realm have no longer the Right to touch their owne Faces. There were ſeverall preſent who declared their Intent to go out upon the moment and touch the Faces of paſsers-by in the Street, and Mr Spollinger ſpent the reſt of the night placing his Hands againſt his owne Dewlaps with an air of patriotick Defiance.