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to the pest-house, and other places, be admitted to common use, till their coaches be well aired, and have stood unemployed by the space of five or six days after such service."

ORDERS for cleansing and keeping of the Streets

sweet.

THE STREETS TO BE KEPT CLEAN.

"First, it is thought necessary, and so ordered, that every householder do cause the street to be daily prepared before his door, and so to keep it clean swept all the week long."

THAT RAKERS TAKE IT FROM OUT THE HOUSES.

"That the sweeping and filth of houses be daily carried away by the Rakers, and that the Raker shall give notice of his coming by the blowing of a horn, as hitherto hath been done."

LAYSTALLS TO BE MADE FAR OFF FROM THE CITY.

"That the laystalls be removed as far as may be out of the city, and common passages, and that no Nightman or other be suffered to empty a vault into any garden near about the city."

CARE TO BE HAD OF UNWHOLESOME FISH OR FLESH, AND OF MUSTY CORN.

"That special care be taken that no stinking fish, or unwholesome flesh, or musty corn, or other corrupt fruits, of what sort soever, be suffered to be sold about the city, or any part of the

same.

"That the brewers and tippling-houses be looked unto, for musty and unwholesome casks.

"That no hogs, dogs, or cats, or tame pigeons, or conies, be suffered to be kept within any part

of the city, or any swine to be, or stray in the streets or lanes, but that such swine be impounded by the beadle, or any other officer, and the owner punished according to act of common council, and that the dogs be killed by the dog-killers appointed for that purpose."

ORDERS concerning loose persons and idle
assemblies.

BEGGARS.

"Forasmuch as nothing is more complained of than the multitude of rogues and wandering beggars, that swarm in every place about the city, being a great cause of the spreading of the infection, and will not be avoided, notwithstanding any orders that have been given to the contrary: it is therefore now ordered, that such Constables, and others, whom this matter may any way concern, take special care that no wandering beggars be suffered in the streets of this city, in any fashion or manner whatsoever, upon the penalty provided by the law, to be duly and severely executed upon them."

PLAYS.

"That all plays, bear-baitings, games, singing of ballads, buckler-play, or such like causes of assemblies of people, be utterly prohibited, and the parties offending severly punished by every Alderman in his ward."

FEASTING PROHIBITED.

"That all public feasting, and particularly by the companies of this city, and dinners at taverns, ale-houses, and other places of common entertainment, be forborne till further order and allowance :

and that the money thereby spared, be preserved and employed for the benefit and relief of the poor visited with the infection."

TIPLING HOUSES.

"That disorderly tipling in taverns, ale-houses, coffee-houses, and cellars, be severely looked unto, as the common sin of this time, and greatest occasion of dispersing the Plague. And that no company or person be suffered to remain or come into any tavern, ale-house, or coffee-house, to drink, after nine of the clock in the evening, according to the ancient law and custom of this city, upon the penalties ordained in that behalf.

"And for the better execution of these orders, and such other rules and directions as upon further consideration shall be found needful: it is ordered and enjoined, that the Aldermen, Deputies, and Common-council men, shall meet together weekly, once, twice, thrice, or oftener, (as cause shall require) at some one general place accustomed in their respective wards (being clear from infection of the Plague) to consult how the said orders may be duly put in execution; not intending that any, dwelling in or near places infected, shall come to the said meeting while their coming may be doubtful. And the said Aldermen, and Deputies, and Common-council men, in their several wards, may put in execution any other good orders that by them at their said meetings shall be conceived and devised, for preservation of His Majesty's subjects from the infection."

SIR JOHN LAWrence,

SIR GEORGE WATERMAN,

SIR CHARLES DOE,

Lord Mayor.

Sheriffs.

I need not say that these orders extended only

to such places as were within the Lord Mayor's jurisdiction: so it is requisite to observe, that the justices of the peace, within those parishes, and places as were called the hamlets, and out-parts, took the same method: as I remember, the orders for shutting up of houses did not take place so soon on our side, because, as I said before, the Plague did not reach to these eastern parts of the town, at least, not begin to be very violent till the beginning of August. For example, the whole bill, from the 11th to the 18th of July, was 1761, yet there died but 71 of the Plague in all those parishes we call the Tower-hamlets; and they were as follows:

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It was, indeed, coming on amain; for the burials that same week were in the next adjoin

ing parishes thus :

St. Len. Shoreditch 64 the next week

84 to the 1st 110

St. Bot. Bishopsgt. 65 prodigiously in- 105 of Aug. 116 St. Giles's, Crippl. 213 creased, as 421

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thus: 554

780

This shutting up of houses was at first counted a very cruel and unchristian method, and the poor people so confined made bitter lamentations : complaints of the severity of it were also daily brought to my Lord Mayor, of houses causelessly (and some maliciously), shut up: I cannot say, but upon enquiry, many that complained so loudly, were found in a condition to be continued; and others again, inspection being made upon the sick

person, and the sickness not appearing infectious, or if uncertain, yet, on his being content to be carried to the pest-house, were released.

It is true, that the locking up the doors of people's houses, and setting a watchman there night and day, to prevent their stirring out, or any coming to them; when, perhaps, the sound people in the family might have escaped, if they had been removed from the sick, looked very hard and cruel; and many people perished in these miserable confinements, which it is reasonable to believe would not have been distempered if they had had liberty, though the Plague was in the house; at which the people were very clamorous and uneasy at first, and several violences were committed, and injuries offered to the men who were set to watch the houses so shut up; also, several people broke out by force, in many places, as I shall observe by and by: but it was a public good that justified the private mischief; and there was no obtaining the least mitigation, by any application to magistrates, or government, at that time, at least, not that I heard of. This put the people upon all manner of stratagem, in order, if possible, to get out; and it would fill a little volume to set down the arts used by the people of such houses to shut the eyes of the watchmen who were employed, to deceive them, and to escape or break out from them, in which frequent scuffles and some mischief happened; of which, by itself.

As I went along Hounsditch one morning, about eight o'clock, there was a great noise; it is true, indeed, there was not much crowd, because people were not very free to gather together, or to stay long together, when they were there, nor did I stay long there: but the outcry was loud enough to prompt my curiosity, and I called

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