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“The Plague is
Back!” This headline did not relate to the plague that swept across Europe
in 1665, but in Indian newspapers on 3rd March 1994.
In London a Comet was spotted by the diarist Samuel Pepys on 24th December 1665, the superstitious population soon decided that this was an omen of God’s anger, and it did not take long for their belief to be confirmed. London’s first plague victim was Margaret Ponteous, buried on 12th April 1665 at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden.
The suffering was
unimaginable, plague-infected houses were marked with a red cross meaning “don’t
let out” and the healthy died with the infected. Overt 200,000 fled and the
streets usually full of laughter, business and peddlers gave way to rotting
corpses with about 1,000 deaths a day, desolation and despair. The only animals
that helped to slow its progress – cats and dogs – were blamed and destroyed!
The Fire of London was
perhaps “a blessing in disguise”. Its ancient narrow winding streets and wooden
houses encouraged its progress. They blamed the papists and an innocent
Frenchman was hanged. The Fire which started in a baker’s shop in Pudding Lane
on 2nd September 1666 took off with great violence, lasting until 8th September
and destroying 2/3rd of the City, 13,2000 houses, 44 Livery Halls and 89 City
churches, but only 9 lives were lost. This was the opportunity of a lifetime for
Christopher Wren!