A Journal of the Plague Year'a Casement violently opened just over my Head, and a Woman gave three frightful Skreetches, and then cry'd, Oh! Death, Death, Death!' Purporting to be an eye-witness account, the Journal of the Plague Year is a record of the devastation wrought by the Great Plague of 1665 on the city of London. Defoe's fictional narrator, known only as 'H. F.', recounts in vivid detail the progress of the disease and the desperate attempts to contain it. He catalogues the rising death toll and the transformation of the city as its citizens flee and those who remain live in fear and despair. Above all it is the stories of appalling human suffering and grief that give Defoe's extraordinary fiction its compelling historical veracity. This revised edition includes comprehensive notes, a complete topographical index, and a new introduction to the greatest work of plague literature. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. |
Contents
A JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR | 1 |
A Medical Note | 213 |
Explanatory Notes | 217 |
The City of London in the late seventeenth century | 252 |
Topographical Index | 253 |
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Common terms and phrases
abated abroad Account Aldermen Aldgate appear’d Applebee's appointed began believe Bills of Mortality Bishopsgate buried Calamity call’d carried carry’d Cart Charity Church City College of Physicians Contagion cou’d Country Cripplegate Danger Daniel Defoe dead Bodies Dead-Cart Death Defoe's died Discourse disease dismal Distemper Distress Door dreadful encreased Family Fire Fire of London fled frighted Giles's give Hand heard Hodges infected infected Houses John Journal liv’d Lives Loimologia London Lord Mayor Magistrates Manner Marseilles mention’d Money Nathaniel Hodges Neighbours Night Number Nurse observ’d observed Occasion Officers Order Parish particular Pepys Person Pest-House Pestilence Pestilential Place Plague poor Provisions publick resolv’d Robinson Crusoe Servants Ships shut sick Southwark spread Stepney Streets Surprize terrible Things thought thousand thro told Town Trade true Violence Visitation Wapping Watchmen Week Weekly Bill White-Chapel whole wou’d Yersinia pestis