This was designed as a self-contained virtual classroom lesson for one period of British Literature class. Students read an introduction to the plague and then read two accounts of the Bubonic plague by Pepys and Defoe. They then answer questions and create their own diary of their own town.

1. The Diary of Samuel Pepys & Daniel Defoe’s account of
The Great Plague of London 1665
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Long before biological weapons came into existence, there was simply... the Great Plague.
Also known as the Black Death, bubonic plague was one of evolution's primary way of
thinning out the population in the late Middle Ages. This highly contagious disease, spread
through coughing and sneezing has symptoms include high fever, chills, headache, exhaustion,
a skin rash and the namesake "buboes" — hideously enlarged and swollen lymph nodes in the
neck and groin areas. Without treatment, half the people infected with plague will die (with
treatment, that number drops to one in 10).
After traveling around the world in
scattered outbreaks over the course of at
least a millenium, the plague decided to
settle down in Europe for a few centuries
of mayhem.
The plague actually arrived in Europe as
the result of one of the earliest incidences
of biological warfare on record, when an
invading Mongol horde threw plague-
infested bodies over the walls of a Genoan
city-castle under siege in 1346. The
strategy was a stunning success, but the
collateral damage was extraordinary.
One can only hope that the Genoan city
was really, really worth it. Starting in
1347 and lasting 20 years, the resulting
epidemic outbreak of bubonic plague
would eventually kill more than 25
million people — although estimates vary from a ¼- ⅓ total of Europe's population at the
time.
When the disease took hold in a house more often than not, nobody lived. And it was not just
that men and women died, even the animals died. Dogs, cats, chickens, oxen, donkeys sheep
were taken by the disease. And almost none, or very few, who showed these symptoms, were
cured. The symptoms were the following: a bubo in the groin, where the thigh meets the trunk;
or a small swelling under the armpit; sudden fever; spitting blood and saliva (and no one who
spit blood survived it). Frightened people abandoned the house and fled to another.
There are two selections about the plague of 1665 written by different authors. The first is a
diary entries by Samuel Pepys, a first of its kind that chronicles the daily life of the times- kind
of an early blogger without the internet. The second excerpt is by Daniel Defoe, the writer of
Robinson Crusoe. Both of these passages recount the impact of the pandemic of 1665- the Great
Plague of London.
9th Oct 1663.
Sir W. Batten and I took coach, and to the Coffee-house in Cornhill; where
much talk about the Turk's proceedings, and that the plague is got to
Amsterdam, brought by a ship from Argier; and it is also carried to
Hambrough.
June 16th 1664
The talk upon the 'Change is, that De Ruyter is dead, with fifty men of his
own ship, of the plague, at Cales ....
June 22nd 1664

2. At noon to the 'Change and Coffee- house, where great talke of the Dutch preparing of sixty sayle
of ships. The plague grows mightily among them, both at sea and land.
July 25th 1664
Thence back again homewards, and Sir W. Batten and I to the Coffee-house, but no newes, only
the plague is very hot still, and encreases among the Dutch.
May 24th 1665.
Up, and by 4 o'clock in the morning, and with W. Hewer, there till 12 without intermission
putting some papers in order. Thence to the Coffee-house with Creed, where I have not been a
great while, where all the newes is of the Dutch being gone out, and of the plague growing upon
us in this towne; and of remedies against it: some saying one thing, some another.
April 30th 1665
Great fears of the Sickenesses here in the City, it being said that two or three houses are already
shut up. God preserve us all.
June 7th 1665
... it being the hottest day that ever I felt in my life, and it is confessed so by all other people the
hottest they ever knew in England in the beginning of June - we to the New Exchange and there
drunk whey; with much entreaty, getting it for our money, and would not be entreated to let us
have one glasse more. ....
This day, much against my Will, I did in Drury-lane see two or three houses marked with a red
cross upon the doors, and "Lord have mercy upon us" writ there - which was a sad sight to me,
being the first of that kind that to my remembrance I ever saw. It put me into an ill conception of
myself and my smell, so that I was forced to buy some roll tobacco to smell to and chaw - which
took away the apprehension. [Houses infected by the Plague had to have a red cross one foot
high marked on their door and were shut up - often with the victims inside. Tobacco was
highly prized for its medicinal value, especially against the Plague. It is said that at Eton one
boy was flogged for being discovered not smoking.]
June 10th 1665
In the evening home to supper, and there to my great trouble hear that the plague is come into
the City (though it hath these three or four weeks since its beginning been wholly out of the
City); but where should it begin but in my good friend and neighbour's, Dr Burnett in
Fanchurch-street - which in both points troubles me mightily.
To the office to finish my letters, and then home to bed - being troubled at the sickness, and my
head filled also with other business enough, and perticularly how to put my things and estate in
order, in case it should please God to call me away - which God dispose of to his own glory.
June 15th 1665
The Duke of Yorke not yet come to town. The towngrows very sickly, and people to be afeared of
it - there dying this last week of the plague 112, from 43 the week before - whereof, one in
Fanchurch-street and one in Broadstreete by the Treasurer's office.
July 22nd 1665
I met this noon with Dr Burnett, who told me, and I find in the news-book this week that he
posted upon the Change, that whoever did spread that report that instead of the plague, his
servant was by him killed, it was forgery; and showed me the acknowledgement of the maister of
the Pest-house that his servant died of a Bubo on his right groine, and two Spots on his right
thigh, which is the plague.
July 31st 1665
.... Thus we end this month, as I said, after the greatest glut of content that ever I had; only,
under some difficulty because of the plague, which grows mightily upon us, the last week being
about 1700 or 1800 of the plague.
My Lord Sandwich, at sea with a fleet of about 100 sail to the Norward, expect De Ruyter or the
Dutch East-India fleet.
My Lord Hinchingbrooke coming over from France, and will meet his sister at Scott's hall.
Myself having obliged both these families in this business very much, as both my Lady and Sir G
Carteret and his Lady do confess exceedingly; and the latter two also now call me Cosen, which I
am glad of.
So God preserve us all friends long, and continue health among us.

3. August 16th 1665
It was dark before I could get home; and so land at church-yard stairs, where to my great trouble
I met a dead corpse, of the plague, in the narrow alley, just bringing down a little pair of stairs -
but I thank God I was not much disturbed at it. However, I shall beware of being late abroad
again.
August 28th 1665
But now, how few people I see, and those walking like people that have taken leave of the
world.... I to the Exchange, and I think there was not 50 people upon it and but few more like to
be, as they told me, Sir G Smith and others. Thus I think to take Adieu today of London streets
....
August 31st 1665
Up, and after putting several things in order to my removal to Woolwich, the plague having a
great increase this week beyond all expectation, of almost 2000 - making the general Bill 7000,
odd 100 and the plague above 6000 ....
Thus this month ends, with great sadness upon the public through the greateness of the plague,
everywhere through the Kingdom almost. Every day sadder and sadder news of its increase. In
the City died this week 7496; and all of them, 6102 of the plague. But it is feared that the true
number of the dead this week is near 10000 - partly from the poor that cannot be taken notice of
through the greatness of the number, and partly from the Quakers and others that will not have
any bell ring for them.
As to myself, I am very well; only, in fear of the plague, and as much of anAgue, by being forced
to go early and late to Woolwich, and my family to lie there continually.
October 31st 1665
I to the office, where Sir W Batten met me and did tell me that Captain Cockes black was dead of
the plague - which I had heard of before but took no notice. By and by Captain Cocke came to
the office , and Sir W Batten and I did send to him that he would either forbear the office or
forbear going to his own office. However, meeting yesterday the Searchers with their rods in
their hands coming from his house, I did overhear them say that the fellow did not die of the
plague. [The "searchers of the dead", usually old women, were employed to examine corpses
and ascertain the cause of death. They carried tall white wands so the public could avoid
contact with them.]
January 3rd 1666
... at the Duke's with great joy I received the good news of the decrease of the plague this week to
70, and but 253 in all; which is the least Bill hath been known these twenty years in the City.
Through the want of people in London is it, that must make it so low below the ordinary number
for Bills.
January 10th 1666
Thence to the 'Change, and there hear to our grief how the plague is encreased this week from
seventy to eighty-nine.
January 13th 1666
... pretty merry, though not perfectly so, because of the fear that there is of a great encrease
again of the plague this week. If the plague continues among us another yeare, the Lord knows
what will become of us.
January 16th 1666
So home late at my letters, and so to bed, being mightily troubled at the newes of the plague's
being encreased, and was much the saddest news that the plague hath brought me from the
beginning of it; because of the lateness of the year, and the fear, we may with reason have, of its
continuing with us the next summer. The total being now 375, and the plague 158.
January 23rd 1666
Up and to the office and then to dinner. After dinner to the office again all the afternoon, and
much business with me. Good newes beyond all expectation of the decrease of the plague, being
now but 79, and the whole but 272. So home with comfort to bed. A most furious storme all
night and morning.
January 30th 1666
I took coach after Mr. Gawden's, and home, finding the towne keeping the day solemnly, it being
the day of the King's murther, and they being at church, I presently into the church, thinking to
see Mrs. Lethulier or Batelier, but did not, and a dull sermon of our young Lecturer, too bad.

4. This is the first time I have been in this church since I left London for the plague, and it frighted
me indeed to go through the church more than I thought it could have done, to see so [many]
graves lie so high upon the churchyards where people have been buried of the plague. I was
much troubled at it, and do not think to go through it again a good while.
March 13th 1666
The plague encreased this week 29 from 28, though the total fallen from 238to 207, which do
never a whit please me.
April 5th 1666
The plague is, to our great grief, encreased nine this week, though decreased a few in the total.
And this encrease runs through many parishes, which makes us much fear the next year.
May 12th 1666
The plague encreases in many places, and is 53 this week with us.
June 13th 1666
returned and walked to Mrs. Bagwell's house, and there (it being by this time pretty dark and
past ten o'clock) went into her house and did what I would. But I was not a little fearfull of what
she told me but now, which is, that her servant was dead of the plague, that her coming to me
yesterday was the first day of her coming forth, and that she had new whitened the house all
below stairs, but that above stairs they are not so fit for me to go up to, they being not so. So I
parted thence, with a very good will, ....
July 4th 1666
4th. Up, and visited very betimes by Mr. Sheply, who is come to town upon business from
Hinchingbrooke, where he left all well. I out and walked along with him as far as Fleet Streete, it
being a fast day, the usual fast day for the plague, and few coaches to be had. Thanks be to God,
the plague is, as I hear, encreased but two this week; but in the country in several places it rages
mightily, and particularly in Colchester, where it hath long been, and is believed will quite
depopulate the place.
August 6th 1666
so home and in Fenchurch-streete met with Mr: Battersby; says he, "Do you see Dan
Rawlinson's door shut up?" (which I did, and wondered). "Why," says he, "after all the sickness,
and himself spending all the last year in the country, one of his men is now dead of the plague,
and his wife and one of his mayds sicke, and himself shut up;" which troubles me mightily.So
home; and there do hear also from Mrs. Sarah Daniel, that Greenwich is at this time much worse
than ever it was, and Deptford too: and she told us that they believed all the towne would leave
the towne and come to London; which is now the receptacle of all the people from all infected
places. God preserve us!
August 9th 1666
I met also with Mr. Evelyn in the streete, who tells me the sad condition at this very day at
Deptford for the plague, and more at Deale (within his precinct as one of the Commissioners for
sick and wounded seamen), that the towne is almost quite depopulated.
September 13th 1666
Up, and down to Tower Wharfe; and there, with Batty and labourers from Deptford, did get my
goods housed well at home. So down to Deptford again to fetch the rest, and there eat a bit of
dinner at the Globe, with the master of the Bezan with me, while the labourers went to dinner.
Here I hear that this poor towne do bury still of the plague seven or eight in a day.
November 20th 1666
I to the office a little, and then to church, it being thanksgiving-day for the cessation of the
plague; but, Lord! how the towne do say that it is hastened before the plague is quite over, there
dying some people still,
April 4th 1667
One at the table told an odd passage in this late plague: that at Petersfield, I think, he said, one
side of the street had every house almost infected through the town, and the other, not one shut
up.
Daniel Defoe, famousfor writing "Robinson Crusoe," penned this account of the
Great London plague:

5. I went all the first part of the time freely about the streets, though not so freely as to run myself
into apparent danger, except when they dug the great pit in the churchyard of our parish of
Aldgate. A terrible pit it was, and I could not resist my curiosity to go and see it. As near as I may
judge, it was about forty feet in length, and about fifteen or sixteen feet broad, and at the time I
first looked at it, about nine feet deep; but it was said they dug it near twenty feet deep
afterwards in one part of it, till they could go no deeper for the water; for they had, it seems, dug
several large pits before this. [...]
Into these pits they had put perhaps fifty or sixty bodies each; then they made larger holes
wherein they buried all that the cart brought in a week, which, by the middle to the end of
August, came to from 200 to 400 a week [...] At the beginning of September, the plague raging
in a dreadful manner, and the number of burials in our parish increasing to more than was ever
buried in any parish about London of no larger extent, they ordered this dreadful gulf to be dug -
for such it was, rather than a pit.
They had supposed this pit would have supplied them for a month or more when they dug it,
and some blamed the churchwardens for suffering such a frightful thing, telling them they were
making preparations to bury the whole parish, and the like; but time made it appear the
churchwardens knew the condition of the parish better than they did: for, the pit being finished
the 4th of September, I think, they began to bury in it the 6th, and by the 20th, which was just
two weeks, they had throwninto it 1114 bodies when they were obliged to fill it up, the bodies
being then come to lie within six feet of the surface.
Complete the questions (100 point assignment)
By the end of class you should submit this worksheet via Google Classroom as
proof of your presence in class and of your work. Failure to do so will:
✓ Mark you as absent from class
✓ Earn you a zero for the assignment
If you cannot finish all of it by the end of the period, submit what you have done by the end of
the class and finish for homework. However, questions 1-8must be finished by the end of class
and submitted via Google Classroom as a Google Doc or you will receive an absence for the day.
1. The article introduction mentioned that the plague was nature’s way of “thinning out the
population.” What other natural ways (meaning not man-made like acts of war) of
population control has occurred over time? Do you think we are due for one soon? What
way do you predict this will happen? (20 points)
2. What does the introduction state was one of the earliest examples of biological warfare?
Explain (10 points)
3. The diary is written in modern English, as was Shakespeare, yet the words and spelling
are frequently different than today. Find at least five examples of “old modern English”
in this passage. Look for and identify a pattern to the spelling. (10 points)
4. Who were the ‘searchers of the dead’? What was their function?(10 points)
5. If you were to write a diary of your city, like Pepys did of London, what major event
would you chronicle over the course of a year? Write at least three entries about a series
of important events that occurred in your city. Don’t forget to include the dates. (50
points)
It should look like this at the very minimum:

6. March 13th2012
The streets were blah blah blankety blank blank blah 238 to blah blah blah
blankety blank blank blah blahdo never ablah blah blah blankety blankblank
blahblah blah blah blankety blank blank blah y blankety yada yada yada. blah
blah y blankety yada yada yada.blah blah yakcty yak don’tcome back
April 5th2012
Mayor Torres declared yada yada yadayada yada yakety yak yada yada
yadayada yada yakety yak yada yada yadayada yada yakety yak yada yada
yadayada yada yakety yak yada yada yadayada yada yakety yak yada yada yada
blah blah yakcty yak don’tcome back blah blah yakcty yakdon’t come back blah
blah yakcty yak don’t come back
August 23th2012
Everywhere we went blinkety blankety and then blah blah happened and blinkety
blankety yada yada yada. blah blahy blankety yada yada yada. blah blah y
blankety yada yada yada. blah blahblah blah yakcty yakdon’t come back blah blah
yakcty yak don’t come back