Then the good man proceeded to say what precautions he was about to take for the preservation of his family.  He did not propose to fly the city.  He had many valuable goods on the premises, which he might probably lose were he to shut up his house and leave.  He had no place to go to in the country, and believed that the scourge might well follow them there, were every householder to seek to quit his abode.  Moreover, never was there greater need in the city for honest men of courage and probity to help to meet the coming crisis and to see carried out all the wise regulations proposed by the Mayor and Aldermen.  He had resolved to join them—­since business was like to be at a standstill for a while—­and do whatsoever a man could do to forward that good work.  His son Reuben was of the same mind with him; whilst his wife would far rather face the peril in her own house than go out, she knew not whither, to be perhaps overtaken by the plague on the road.  Her heart had yearned over the sick ever since she had heard her daughter’s harrowing tale, and knew that her sister was at work amongst the stricken.  She knew not what she might be able to do, but she trusted to her husband for guidance, and would be entirely under his direction.

Some citizens spoke of victualling their houses as for a siege, and entirely secluding themselves and their families till the plague was overpast—­and indeed this was many times done with success, although the plan broke down in other cases—­but this was not Harmer’s idea.  He did indeed advise his wife and daughters to be careful how they adventured themselves abroad, and where they went.  He had arranged at the farm near Greenwich for a regular supply of provisions to be brought by water to the stairs hard by the bridge; and since their house was supplied by water from the New River, they were sure of a constant fresh supply.  But he had no intention of incarcerating himself or any of his household, and preventing them from being of use to afflicted neighbours, whilst he himself anticipated having to go into many stricken homes and into infected houses.  All the restriction he imposed was that any person sallying forth into places where infection might be met should change his raiment before going out, in a small building in the rear of the shop which he was about to fit up for that purpose, and to keep constantly fumigated by the frequent burning of certain perfumes, of oil of sulphur, and of a coarse medicated vinegar which was said to be an excellent disinfectant.  On returning home again, the person who had been exposed would doff all outer garments in this little room, would resume his former clothing, and hang up the discarded garments where they would be subjected to this disinfecting fumigation for a number of hours, and would be then safe to wear upon another occasion.  He intended burning regularly in his house a fire of pungent wood such as pine or cedar, which was to be constantly fed with such spices and perfumes and disinfectants as the physicians should pronounce most efficacious.  Perfect cleanliness he did not need to insist upon, for his wife could not endure a speck of dust upon anything in the house.