Signs in the Air AND now the glorious Restoration at length arrived, and ’tis incredible what a Spur it was to Trade, and how the Mercers and Drapers could hardly supply their Customers fast enough with expensive Goods; and how the Tailors and Sempstresses worked all Night, and Hairdressers sold their Ellwigs, and Hatters their Hats, and Horse-dealers their Horses good and bad. For every one was for pouring out of London, across our Bridge, at least as far as Blackheath. Oh! what a busy, what a joyous Sight it was! All the Streets from the But the Ladies’ Dresses!—Oh, how grieved I was!—Sure, they were resolved to make up for the Dulness and Decorum they had been restricted to during the Protectorate; for, indeed, they seemed to think Decorum and Dulness went together, and should now be thrown overboard in Company. The Henrietta Maria Dress I had so complacently made up for our Wax Doll, was now twenty Years behind the Fashion! fit only to laugh at!—and what had taken its Place, I thought fit only to blush at. I disliked this Symptom of the Restoration from the very first—not that it had, naturally, any Connexion with it.—The King had lived long abroad, had become fond of foreign Fashions; but were the modest Ladies of England, therefore, to give in to them? Then, what the upper Classes affect, the lower Classes soon ape: I knew we should presently have Mistress Blenkinsop and Violet trying which could wear the longest Curls and shortest Petticoats, and look the most I have often thought, that if the Ladies of England had at this Time been what they ought, a good Deal of Folly and Sin that presently stained this Reign would never have happened. What! could the merry Glance and free Word of a light young Monarch break down Barriers that were not tottering already? What had Mothers and Teachers been about? Where were the Lady Fanshawes and Lucy Hutchinsons? There must have been Something wrong in the Bringing-up—I can never believe all these fair young Ladies were so good one Day and so bad the next. And now a shocking Sight was to be seen at the Bridge Gate,—the Heads, namely, of those Traitors who brought about the Death of the late King, and who richly deserved their bad End. There they have remained for many a Year, a Terror to all Evil-doers. And now a shocking sight was to be seen at the Bridge Gate It was in the Spring following the Restoration, in the Month of March, that we and the Braidfoots were taking our Supper together on the Leads, the Weather being very warm for the Season, when our Attention was attracted by the uncommon Appearance of the Clouds, which, as will often be the Case after much Rain, were exceeding gorgeous and grotesque. Master Braidfoot was the first of us who noticed them, and cried, “See, see, Neighbours! Cannot you now “And see, dear Hugh,” cries Kitty, “there’s another that looks like a Cathedral; and another like an exceeding big Mountain, with a Rent in its Side; and out of the Rent comes Something that looks like a Crocodile, with its Jaws wide open; no! now it is liker to a Bull, or rather to a Lion.” “Very like a Whale!” said a Man, as if to himself, on the Top of the next Kitty started, and lowered her Voice; for we were not on speaking Terms with him; however, she squeezed my Arm and said softly, “It really is becoming Something like a Whale now, though!” On which, Master Braidfoot burst into one of his ringing Laughs, and cried, “Why, Kitty, you give it as many Faces as the Moon! What will you fancy it next?” “I wonder what it means,” says she, very gravely. “Means?” said her Husband, still laughing; “why, it means we shall have some more wet Weather. So we’ll put off our Pleasure Party. See what a red Flame the setting Sun casts all along the City!” About a Week after this, our Neighbour, “Strange News from the West! being a true and perfect Account of several Miraculous Sights seen in the Air westward, on Thursday last, by divers Persons of Credit, standing on London Bridge between Seven and Eight of the Clock. Two great Armies marching forth of two Clouds, and encountering each other; but, after a sharp Dispute, they suddenly vanished. Also, some remarkable Sights that were seen to issue forth of a Cloud that seemed like a Mountain, in the Shapes of a Bull, a Bear, a Lyon, and an Elephant with a Castle on his Back; and the Manner how they all vanished.” “Well,” said my Father, turning the Leaf, “is it dedicated to Mistress Braidfoot? Here seems to be much Ado about Nothing, I think.” “Nothing or Something,” said Master “So this is the Way Books are made, and Stories are vamped up,” said my Father. “Truly, it makes one serious.” But, a little Time after, a Rumour was repeated in the Shop that did indeed make one serious, to wit, that the Plague was in Holland, and would very likely come across to us. However, though the following Year it did indeed rage very badly in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, yet it crossed not the Water for another twelve Months or more; and as we had no such Things as printed Newspapers in those Days, such as I have lived to see since, Reports did not instantly spread over the whole Nation as they do now. At this Time, Master Benskin’s Shop-window was full of small Books with awakening Titles, such as “Britain’s Remembrancer,”—“Come out of her, my People,”—“Give Ear, ye careless Daughters,” and such-like, many of them emanating from the Pen of his Lodger in the Attick; and with these and Lilly’s Almanacks, he drove a thriving Trade. Violet was sitting with me one Morning, when Mark suddenly entered, and Just then, my Father enters; and Mark, of a sudden recollecting his Business, exclaimed, “Oh, Uncle, here is a capital Opening for you. ’Tis an ill Wind, sure enough, that blows nobody any Good,—I don’t know why you should not do a good Turn of Business as well —“No, Boy, no,” said my Father, putting them by, one after another, as he looked over them, “Time was when I should have thought it as innocent to laugh in my Sleeve at other People’s Credulity and turn a Penny by their Delusions as yourself, and many others that are counted honest Men; but I’m older and sadder now. To the best of my Belief, every and all of these Remedies are Counterfeits, that will not only rob People of their Money, but peradventure A Customer here summoned him away; and Mark, instead of departing, sat down beside me and said, “What think you, Cherry, of this approaching Visitation? Are you very much affrighted?” “Awe-stricken, rather,” I made Answer; “I only fear for myself along with the rest, and I fear most for my Father, who will be more exposed to it than I shall; but I feel I can leave the Matter in God’s Hand.” Her Grossness was offensive to me, and I said in a low Voice, “I do.” “And if I die, as die I very likely This was insupportable to me. “Dear Mark,” I cried, “why yield to this Notion of Evil which may be its own Fulfilment? God watches over all. With proper Precaution, and with his Blessing, we may escape. No one knows his Hour: the brittle Cup oft lasts the longest.—Many a Casualty may cut us off before the Day of general Visitation.” “Aye,” he replied, with a sickened Look, “but I had a Dream last Night ... and, just now, as I came through Bishopgate Churchyard, a Crowd of People were watching a Ghost among the Tombs, that was signing to Houses that should be stricken, and to yet undug Graves.” “Well, I rather think I did,” said Mark, “but am not quite assured—the Press was very great. At any rate, I saw those who evidently did see it. My Wife has had her Fortune told, and the Fortune-teller avouched to her she should escape; so there’s the Ground of her Comfort. To make doubly sure, she wears a Charm. For me, I am neither for Charm nor Fortune-telling,—if I die, I die, and what then! I’ve often felt Life scarce worth keeping; only one don’t know what comes after!” And, with a faint Laugh, he rose to go away. I said, “Mark! Mark!” “What is it?” he said, and stopped. I said, “Don’t go away with that light Saying in your Mouth——” “It is,” he said more gravely; and went out. Presently my Father came in to Supper; and sat down, while it was making ready, near the Window, looking out on the River quite calmly. Our large white Cat sat purring beside him. Stroking her kindly, he said, “Pussy, you must keep close, or your Days will be few ... they’ve given Orders, now, to kill all the Dogs and Cats. I believe, Cherry, we are as safe here as we should be in the privatest Retreat in the Kingdom, for Infection never harbours on the Bridge, the Current of Air always blows it away, one Way or the other. But, my dear, we may be called away at any Hour, and I never Sleep worse And he ate his frugal Meal cheerfully, I thinking in my Mind, as I had so often done before, that the firmest Heart is oft found in the littlest Body. |