A Journal of the Plague Year ｜ 1
[1] MEMOIRS OF THE PLAGUE
ペスト回想録
It was about the Beginning of September 1664, that I, among the Rest of my Neighbours, heard in ordinary Discourse, that the Plague was return’d again in Holland; for it had been very violent there, and particularly at Amsterdam and Rotterdam in the Year 1663. whether they say, it was brought, some said from Italy, others from the Levant among some Goods, which were brought home by their Turkey Fleet; others said it was brought from Candia; others from Cyprus. It matter’d not, from whence it come; but all agreed, it was come into Holland again.
１６６４年９月の初め頃⋯⋯オランダでペストが再び流行しはじめたと、近隣住民とともに他愛もない会話の中で耳にした。前年１６６３年にオランダ、特にアムステルダムとロッテルダムで、ペストが猛威を振るっていた。ある人はイタリアから伝わった、ある人はオランダの東地中海から戻ってきた船団の荷物に紛れ込んで持ち帰られた、他の人はカンディア（クレタ島イラクリオン）からだ、また違う人はキプロスから伝わったと主張したが、どこが発生源であったとしても、オランダに再び伝わったことについては全員一致の意見だった。
We had no such thing as printed News Papers in those Days, to spread Rumours and Reports of Things; and to improve them by the Invention of Men, as I have liv’d to see practis’d since. But such things as these were gather’d [2] from the Letters of Merchants, and others, who corresponded abroad, and from them was handed about by Word of Mouth only; so that things did not spread instantly over the whole Nation, as they do now. But it seems that the Government had a true Account of it, and several Counsels were held about Ways to prevent its coming over; but all was kept very private. Hence it was, that this Rumour died off again, and People began to forget it, as a thing we were very little concern’d in, and that we hoped was not true; till the latter End of November, or the Beginning of December 1664, when two Men, said to be French-men, died of the Plague in Long Acre, or rather the upper End of Drury Lane. The Family they were in, endeavour’d to conceal it as much as possible; but as it had gotten some Vent in the Discourse of the Neighbourhood, the Secretaries of State gat Knowledge of it. And concerning themselves to inquire about it, in order to be certain of the Truth, two Physicians and a Surgeon were order’d to go to the House, and make Inspection. This they did; and finding evident Tokens of the Sickness upon both the Bodies that were dead, they gave their Opinions publickly, that they died of the Plague: Whereupon it was given in to the Parish Clerk, and he also return’d them to the Hall; and it was printed in the weekly Bill of Mortality in the usual manner thus,
Plague 2. Parishes infected 1.
当時、物事の風説や情報を広める新聞という印刷物が存在しなかった。私が後に見てきたように人間の叡智をもってより風説や情報を正確にすることもなかった。情報は商人や他に海外と書簡を交わす者たちから、口伝えのみで広まったので、今（この本が出版された１７２２年）のように瞬く間に全国に広まることはなかった。どうやら政府は真相を把握していたらしく、ペスト上陸を阻止するため何回も枢密院会議を重ねていたようだが、全てが秘密裏に進められていた。そのような訳で、噂もいつしか消え、人々はペストのことを忘れつつあった。私たちが心配することではなかったし、ペストは本当は起きていないと望んでいたが、１６６４年１１月の終わりか１２月初めに、ロング・エーカーまたはドルリー・レーンの端に住んでいたフランス人だという２人の男が、ペストに罹り死んだ。彼らが住んでいた家の家族はこのことを秘匿しようとしたが、周辺で風の便りとなり、ついには大臣の耳にも入った。実態を知るべく、２名の医師と１人の外科医がこの家に派遣されて、検死が行われた。彼らは命ぜられたとおりに検死を行い、ペストの明らかな症状が死体にあったので、ペストが死因だと公表した。この死因情報は教区書記に与えられ、書記は会館に戻り、死亡週報には定められたとおり、下記のように記録された。
ペストによる死者２名。感染した教区１区。
翻訳ノート
Counsel は Council のことだが、枢密院 (Privcy Council) に当たるのかは自信がない。
底本
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