But we are immediately to have more Comfort of this Kind; for he assures us, That _Plagues seem to be of the Growth of the _Southern_ and _Eastern_ Parts of the World_; and I am sorry that they only seem to be so; because what follows may _seem_ only to be true, _That there is not in this Island particularly, any one Instance of a pestilential Disease among us, of great Consequence, that we have not received from other infected Places_. Here is another Draw-back upon us again: A _pestilential Disease_ of any Consequence! Is any Plague in a Country without Consequence? Surely many Widows and Orphans find it otherwise. But the Doctor will make amends for Families brought to Ruin and Poverty, by the loss of Parents and Husbands; by ridding us of a vulgar Error, of the Plague visiting us once in Thirty or Forty Years. So that if a Plague brings a mighty Calamity along with it, we may comfort our selves, that it comes but seldom. This was the very Purpose for which he gave us, with great Assurance, the Origine of Plagues; because he would charitably rescue us from an _Opinion propagated by Authors of great Name, that we are visited with the Plague once in thirty or forty Years; which is a mere Fancy, without any Foundation either in Reason or Experience_. I cannot assign any Reason for the Plague thus visiting us; but Experience is not of the side of the terrible, but common Opinion, as _Hodges_[13] assures us, and the Bills of Mortality confirm; for there we find it has visited us oftner, with all its _Tokens_, _Buboes_, and _Carbuncles_, and more than once since that Time, if Dr. _Mead_’s _pestilential Diseases_, of smaller Consequence, are admitted. [Footnote 13: Page 3. _Transl._] Now if the Plague of Pestilence has thus frequently shewn it self, in its most terrible manner, and very often not so terribly, how can People prevent taking _Fright_ at the _King_ of _Terrors_? Or, with what Face can Dr. _Mead_ call terrible Death, _vain Fears_? Can a reasonable People, relying on History, and their own Experience of Things, be delivered from their Fears, by a bold Assertion, that can proceed from no other Cause, than great Ignorance, or the worst Opinion of the Reason and Experience of Mankind, that they are subject to so gross an Imposition, as to take _Comfort_ in the most _lamentable_ Danger, _exposed_ to Death, and _forsaken_ by their dearest Friends; and all upon an Assertion, that is neither grounded on _Knowledge_, nor _Integrity_? It may be a _pia Fraus, a well meant Cheat_, but it cannot be of any manner of Use.