iustly might be stild Vngratefull subiects likewise know 't was he Gaue speciall order that a booke should be Read in our Fasts of Prayers and Psalmes selected Fit for the times so greatly he respected The safetie of our soules another Booke By him was fet forth wherein if you looke Medcines for bodies health did there insert With wary visements how we should diuert Or keepe our selues from causes of Infection VVhat else to do he gaue to vs direction BVt well-away before the moneth is gone How many thousands left vs here alone And gaue vs leaue to fast and eke to pray For neither wealth nor Counsell could them stay Both rich and poore away now doe they hye Both old and young they care not where they lye In barnes or hay-cockes fields or vnder tree Nor how they fare so London they not see LOndon that heretofore had such Renowne Is not respected as a common Towne Her glories darkned and her strength decayde And those that trusted in her are afraide For to come neere her London that heretofore VVhich for the bignesse sure was people more Then any City in the world againe Doth say when God is angrie 't is but vaine To trust in multitude but I call to minde VVhen 't did abound with men then most vnkinde Full many of vs grudge to haue it so Thinking the cause thereof procur'd vs woe So many of a trade thus did we grieue That one man by another could not liue Sure God was angrie with vs now you see The Citie of large multitudes are free Where is the doings that should now abound Sure nothing else but wayling is there found For want of those that in the same did dwell And when woe will be done we cannot tell BVt shall I leaue our fellow brethren so And not vouchsafe a little for to go To bring them out of towne at least-wise know The fauour iolly Country men did shew To strangers and to kin but fitst alas You know t is fitting they should haue a passe Whither he be a wiseman or an Asse Vnlesse he meane to lye vpon the grasse The which vnto the Country men they shew Contents whereof doth let all people know That where Almighty God more is the pitty With sicknesse now had visited the Citty Yet notwithstanding blest be his high hand Their dwelling house amongst the rest doth stand Free from infection nay some thought it meete To set downe in their writing all the streete Wherein they dwelled prays'd be God was cleare And therefore as for that you neede not feare To giue them entertainment this safe kept Made many that at first full sweetly slept In wholesome beds and likewise to fare well But afterwards it otherwise befell London they thought all ouer was infected And therefore they no passes now respected VVAndring in Fields some here some there do lye And by the way there 's many of them die A grieuous spectacle for to behold And causing teares may for to heare it told To see that Christians should be so estrang'd And from their marke Christianitie so rang'd That from another they no loue can haue So farre as to vouchsafe them to their graue But leaue them merciles eu'n where they die And so expose them to the rauenous eie Of Foules and other vermine verie vnfit And surely shewes small loue or little wit In these our Countrie-men but I alas Am gone too farre with you how shall I passe From whence I came you know I am expected And let not London be by me neglected FAsts are continued Wensday is the daie And many of vs I dare boldly say Did carefully obserue them many moe I do perswade me did not keep them so As fit they should 't is goodly for to see How yet our Churcher fild with people be And with attention do the Preacher heare Although so many durst not venture there For feare of further harme I neuer heard Such zealous Preaching that was still conferd Vnto the hearers braue renowned men That so encourag'd vs I would my pen Had all the arte that might be to giue praise Vnto your worthy actions many waies You did declare your selues like Champions stout And were the only men that held vs out From fainting Physitions they were fled Onely a few amongst the rest some dead And griefe to speake but true it is God wot Of your owne Coate too many tarried not To those that staid then you gaine double praise For taking paines when Halcion were our daies And sticke not now your liues for vs to spend Euen your owne bloods so that you might but end Twixt God and vs the strife this was your care Thus Moses humbly sought the Lord to spare Hard hearted Iewes full often was he heard And I perswade my selfe God hath not bard Sweet mercies gate so fast but one time he Or other with our prayers will pleased be Go on therefore surely of God y'blest And let not the Almighty yet take rest Vntill that by his mercies we do finde Gods wrath appeaâ—de and he of other minde And next on earth then you shall haue the praise Men wiues and children shall with pleasing laies Haue cause to sing your Victories about And say you were their Champions fell and stout That Iacob like did wrastle with the Lord And held him fast vntill he did affoord To hold his hand and this great sicknesse stay This may be said of you another day ALthough the Sunne shinde bright the Heauens faire Yet still we thought corrupted was the ayre Great cause it was of sicknesse so we thought And so by learned writers were we tought It to auoide the best aduice we take To cleere the Ayre great Bonesiers we make Before our doores as likewise pans of fire Ymixt with pitch so greatly we desire Cause of Infections cease then thought it meete That euery one at home or else in streete As they did passe should to a Nose-gay smell Held in their hands which would do very well Some made of Hempe Pitch others thought fit To vse some other Sents which I omit And Franckensence in houses do we burne And vse all other meanes we can to turne That into sweete we thought corrupted was Le ts leaue off this and tell what came to passe ANd now imagine Iuly we haue past August the Moneth is wherein we so fast Do leaue this world to seeke another rest Where in one weeke there died at the least Fiue thousand soules two hundreth and fiue They 'd make a faire shew to be seene aliue So many thousands in the Country gone And we so few in number left alone And yet so many in one weeke should dye So many courses that I thinke nere eye Did ere behold dayly and howerly passe Within this Citty infinite griefe alas Must needes possesse those that are left aliue And for our safeguard how do we now striue These lines ensuing will directly tell Please you peruse them and to marke them well THe
eighteenth of the month that was the weeke Now not so much for humaine helpes we seeke But ready for Deaths stroake we do prepare And for to gaine heauens Crowne is all our care Daily we see our Friends and neighbours dye And who can say is next ore he or I The shunning now of sicke is not respected For who doth know whose house is not infected They are not now pent vp doores are open No coy there is with any to be spoken But one with other do consort together And as for danger few of vs care whether The partie we are with be sicke or no Onely we aske him whether it be so And where the paine proceedes rising or spot And to their beds we go for we are not So timerous but do approach them neere And with our best aduise we do them cheere And being dead now we such kindnesse haue None will refuse to bring them to the graue But after Beeres we throng without disdaine And in our iudgement hold it very vaine If we should not our last performance lend To such a neighbour or to such a Friend Discourteous vnfit and eke faint-hearted Thus did we meete and thus we kindly parted VVEll may I say to many a Country lout Of this our Kingdome where 's the valour stout Possest your fearefull hearts what is the matter That so for feare your very teeth do chatter VVithin your heads why do your bones so shiuer As if you neyther had nor heart nor liuer To see a London man oh y' are vndone Venture not neere but as farre from him runne As Furlongs two containe at least oh flye His very breath will smell as farre as eye Can ere behold him are you not a sham'd And in all good mens iudgements to be blam'd I am not ignorant of your churlish dealing The wound that open is will need long healing Of your vnkindnesse shew'd to our poore City Hard hearted men you should haue had more pitty You thinke vs Cowards you the worthies are And who but you for sturdie men of warre How is it now doe you not plainly see London doth yeeld as stout as any he Liues on your clotted grounds as doe appeare We stand not in such dread nor do we feare The losse of our poore lifes for in a word Although we in a manner see the sword Of the Almighties Iustice euer wauing Ouer our heads killing many crauing Yet from the venger do we neuer shrinke No we perswaded be and surely thinke That he is euery where and that he can And if please him send to the Country man As great a sicknesse as he hath to vs Thus I perswade my selfe and euen thus Should you perswaded be and vnderstand That the best meanes for to auoyd God hand Is not to flye but to approach him neere With heartie sorrow take heed how we we beare Our selues hereafter that we not offend Else worser iudgements God to vs can send VVhere ere we be with you I haue now done Lord with what longing do the people runne To know what number this next weeke haue dyde And now blest be his name we haue espide A happy ceasing of his anger past For in this weeke they dyed not so fast Foure thousand eight hundred one and forty fell Though a great number it reioyst vs well To see a ceasing and with thankfull minde VVe gaue Gods thankes for that he was so kinde And by the way now this is to be noted And will be markt by those that are deuoted When we were now euen hurl'd into despaire And scarse car'd whether day was foule or faire Such a perplexity were wee driuen in That how the world went we weigh'd not a pin VVhen we were almost weare now with crying And almost past all hope for ought relying At the Almighties hands loe euen then He gan to shew vnto vs sinfull men Some tokens that his anger will not long Continue if so be wee sing the song Of true repentance I remember well The Prohibition of our fast daies fell This very weeke the ceasing was before VVe cannot then directly say therefore That they were cause so many were infected I hope there 's few that are so ill affected As so to thinke did we not meete together And as I sayd before we car'd not whether Daily and hourely 'bout our worldly ends Some one for one thing others see their Friends Lye visited sicke with well we mingle Those that are well from sicke we cannot single Yet many of vs were both well and sound And I amongst the rest this fauour found Blest be his holy name no more of this Now in my minde a home-bred story is Of one I knew a Country-man of mine Hardly deseruing here to haue a line Who did refraine the Church so wise was he So did his sonne lest they infect might be VVhat I insert I heard it to be true And I thinke God their iudgment gaue them due Neyther in Church or Church yard did they dye But in the open Fields there did they lye ANd one thing more I thought good to obserue Whether it obseruation do deserue Or no I pray you iudge this did I find When we vnto each other were most kind And feared not the visited to see Yet euen at that time I noted we Did find a ceasing which did plainly shew That we vnto the Almighty much did owe For his great loue beyond imagination And farre beyond all humaine expectation For fore that time most were of iudgement still The reason why so many there were ill VVas cause they tooke not heed nor much respected To keepe themselues from those that were infected The last great sicknesse it did fall out so As I haue heard well let vs forwards goe Not that I thinke the sicknesse not infect For many then my iudgement will reiect For to the contrary it doth appeare Therfore I 'de wish no mortall wight come neere Infected persons to presume too much Vnlesse occasions so great be such As eyther them to helpe or helpe themselues Else should I count them for presuming Elues VVEarie with toyle and with sad cares opprest Let now my muse from this sad straine take reft Neuerthelesse but for a little while And giue me leaue but onely for to smile At worldlings folly how with care they striue To keepe their earthly Carcasses aliue Whilst others pining do desire to dye Respectlesse of their liues such misery They do sustaine y wrapt in cruell loue Or else some higher crosses from aboue For recreation I thinke best befits In time of sadnesse to reuiue our wits With honest mirth a story for to tell The best I haue marke then how it befell In Gloster shiere a parcell of this Land There Cheltenham my natiue Towne doth stand Many a braue lad hath there beene bred and bore As well in these our times as long before VVho hand to hand in battle would men thrill Ere they from them would suffer any ill
Then did the Lord begin to lay his hand And plainly shewd he 'd giue vs vnderstand That he was angry with vs at the first Small quaintity there dy'd Death did not thirst As now it doth a dozen or a score We thought it much soone after forty more Or such like number to the ground were sent But hardly any misse of those that went Time slides away our glasse doth daily runne And God will finish what he had begunne For shortly after in the Bills are spide About a hundred of the sicknesse dyde And yet at that time I remember well There 's very few of vs could rightly tell Whether the sicknesse were the plague or no So willingly we would haue had it so The Searchers now brought into question be For that poore aged folkes they could not see Gods handy-worke t was thought that they did wrong To many people thus did we prolong Our miseries aduice was taken then Of Phisicke Doctors all held worthy men And such as for their skill did much surpasse The meaner sort they told vs that whereas Those that from vs this sicknesse did deuide Had caught a spotted feuer and so dyde THus the Almightie though he hath and can Produce strange wonders by the Arte of man Neuerthelesse when he thinkes good he will Confound the wisedome and the learned skill Of mortall Creatures and vs plainly shew He can send iudgments that they shall not know How to preuent with all their arte or skill If we rebell and not his will fulfill THE Former Searchers now are in hard case They are reprou'd some forc't to loose their place And now with cheerefull hearts we doe agree The former doubt but a mistake might bee Yet still alas the sicknesse doth increase And therefore of our feares we do not cease Those that they now appoint are bound with oath Vpon their consciences to tell the troth That neither for reward or filthy seare Or else for any fauour that they beare Vnto the persons that are so infected Should stop their iudgments now to be expected THeir charge receiu'd away now do they hie And to their businesse do they looke more nigh Daies quickly go the nights likewise full fast And very sudainly a weeke is past And now we lookt to be resolued well And who but searchers could vs betrer tell The questions askt and then they told their mind That certainly the places which they find So visited so farre as they could see No other sicknes then the plague should be The reason now of this afore-said doubt As I haue heard by experience is found out That as the plague beginneth with the yeare So do the markes thereof at first appeare Much like the spotted Feuer as time goes on And yeare vpon his backe puts age vppon The markes do alter to another hue Leauing the red and then is turn'd to blew VVE studdy now and often cast about And call to mind what heretofore fell out Vpon the Death of any Souerainge Prince Or in Successors raigne hath hapned since There 's many of vs doe remember yet It was so late we can it not forget When first King Iames came here this Crowne to sway How many by the plague were caught away And now the most of vs perswaded be That such a scknesse we againe shall see But being come vnto the month of Iune It sings to vs a sad and mournesfull tune For now we thinke the sicknesse will not cease Because we find it weekly doth increase Orders are now prescribde and best inuention That we can vse or finde out for preuention The doores of sicke are shut and Dogs be kild T is better they should goe then we be fild With noysome smells a reason some doth tell That brings the sicknesse with vs here to dwell It to auoid houses and streetes we wash And many a paile of water downe we pash Before our doores the place of those infected We warily auoyd though we respected The visited before their sicknesse came Yet now to see them would redound much blame Vnto vs all the neighbours they would scare vs And hearing it few of them would come neere vs For so to doe can we tell what may chance To vs or ours so farre for to aduance Or venture out our selues them to come neare Pray blame vs not we iustly may forbeare Thus did we feare at first but time growes on That which before we could not build vppon Trinity Terme was for that time put off Causes of suite in Law were driuen off Till longer time they that came many a mile VVith griefe returne stay heere but little while That hoped to haue seene some happy end Oâ— their long Suites now vainely doe they spend Both time and money London they forsake And many a long and wearie steppe they make Before they come vnto their wisht desire To see the smoake that issues from the fire Of their owne Chymneys and to preuent Danger of infection the Parliament That euer commonly with vs did sit Do now forbeare and thinke it farre more fit That kept it should be in some other place The City Oxford 't was that had the grace Of that assembly there they time did spend No doubtfull carefull for to make an end Of that they had in hand statutes are acted And in a booke together are compacted For publique good there let them rest a while Whilst we goe forwards in our homelie stile To tell you truely what did come to passe To moneth next following which cald Iuly was Each weeke with longing we desire to see VVhither the bills increast or lessened be But where the figures set for hundreds were Now thousands three and more there do appeare By hundreds three foure score fiue in number Due time it is for vs to leaue of slumber And generally with one voyce and accord We gin to weigh the iudgments of the Lord And seeke to him our helper and our guide That we of mercie may not be denide In this affliction call to minde our sinne VVith humble praiers and fasting we beginne That so we may appease Gods angrie hand The onely way his iudgements to withstand Wherein assuredlie we did doe well VVe knew the gracious goodnes which befell To Niniue and other Cities noe Which else had bin destroyd had't not bin so They had repented this right godly thing First was commended by our noble King Thereby he shew'd that he a Father was Vnto this Citie and what came to passe He tooke to heart alas what better loue Or friend for friendship can we further prooue Then at such times as we afflicted be That they are moou'd our miseries to see And do their best endeauors to be briefe Vse all the arte they can for our reliefe In this renowned King great commendation We must ascribe welfare and preseruation Of vs and ours was dailie in thy minde As by thy prouident care we did it finde Should we vnthankfull be it were most vild And we hereafter