.( ! >4 ) 
with People that were healthy and well, and without 
the Town, in an open free Air, and well fituited Places 
(but perhaps by chance looked out to fee fome Body or 
other carried by to be buried) took the Infection, fill ill 
and died. So that I cannot in the leaft doubt, but that 
the Air is infe&ed 3 and that by means of fome Morbid 
Effluvia, wherewith it is impregnated, it doesalfo in fed 
and deftroy Mankind : Concerning which you may read 
the learned Dr. Laurentius Eichfladivs, in his Difputat. 
Phyfiolog. de Pejie. There were feveral other Indications 
of the Diforder of the Air, as many unufual Signs that 
were leen in it, the State of the Creatures that livemoftly 
in ir, &c, which would be too prolix to mention here. 
Authors generally make a DiftinCtion betwixt the 
Signs of a future and of a prefent Plague. Concerning 
the former, the famous Hiftorian Cafper Hedio, in his 
Chronica , has related feveral wonderful Accidents that 
happened in the Stars, the Air, the Earth, and the Wa- 
ters, in Germany , Italy , France , Poland , &c. as certain 
Signs of an approaching Plague, which foon after did 
enfue. 
I cannot difprove the Confequences drawn from thefer 
and fuch like Relations, fince the Event confirms the 
Truth of them : Yet they are but uncertain Signs, and 
as fuch are efteemed by Pet. Sybillinus , and others of the 
Learned. However, I think it not amifs to relate fome 
of the unufual S,gns that happened here before the Plague 
came among us. Of this kind was the extraordinary 
Number of Spiders, which were found in fuch abundance 
the Year before, (viz. 1708.) towards the Eaft, that a 
Country Gentlemen affured me, when one Day he hap- 
pened to be looking after his Workm n, he was cover’d 
all over with them. The fame is likewife obferved as a^ 
forerunner of the Plague by the Learned Dr. A. g^Rivi- 
ms in his Tr. de Pefle, The fame fort of Spiders I have 
alfo my. felf obferv’d near my Houfe. The Winter follow- 
ing 
