morning
about eleven O'clock
This was while the plague was not come to a height . I think it was in June , towards the latter end of the month ; it must be before the dead-carts came about , and while they used the ceremony of ringing the bell for the dead , which was over for certain , in that parish at least , before the month of July , for by the 25th of July there died 550 and upwards in a week , and then they could no more bury in form , rich or poor . I have mentioned above that notwithstanding this dreadful calamity , yet the numbers of thieves were abroad upon all occasions , where they had found any prey , and that these were generally women . It was one morning about eleven O'clock , I had walked out to my brother 's house in Coleman Street parish , as I often did , to see that all was safe . My brother 's house had a little court before it , and a brick wall and a gate in it , and within that several warehouses where his goods of several sorts lay . It happened that in one of these warehouses were several packs of women 's high-crowned hats , which came out of the country and were , as I suppose , for exportation : whither , I know not . I was surprised that when I came near my brother 's door , which was in a place they called Swan Alley , I met three or four women with high - crowned hats on their heads ; and , as I remembered afterwards , one , if not more , had some hats likewise in their hands ; but as I did not see them come out at my brother 's door , and not knowing that my brother had any such goods in his warehouse , I did not offer to say anything to them , but went across the way to shun meeting them , as was usual to do at that time , for fear of the plague .