Londons Miserie THE Countryes Crueltie WITH GODS MERCIE Explained by remarkeable obseruations of each of them during this last Visitation VVritten by Richard Milton LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1625. To his deere and louing Vnkle Maister Richard Gough of the Citty of Hereford Gentleman GOOD SIR HAuing composed these few lines ensuing by way of obseruation of this present Visitation being an Eye-witnesse thereof Doe humbly present the same to your view If there be ought shall giue you content I haue my desire Accept my poore Labors I pray you So shall I not onely thinke it and time well spent but shall further be encouraged to imploy the same hereafter as occasion shall be offered So with my prayers to the Almighty for the health and prosperitie of you and yours I remaine till death Your Louing Kinseman Richard Milton Londons Miserie The Countreys Cruelty with Gods Mercy NO farre fetcht Story brought from Forraigne land Or such like matters doe I take in hand No loue sicke Sonnet or sweete roundelayes No Epigrams or such like pleasing toyes Nor doe I write the deedes of Martiall men That haue bin done the place time where and when This I referre vnto some other men To paint and set forth with their fluent pen Whilst I with sighing doe most sadly sing The fearefull iudgements of the Heauenly King That in his wrath by his most heauy hand Puts to amazement this most sinnefull Land A taske too hard for me whose slender skill Is farre vnfit although Gods knowes my will Be very good for matter it befits The industrious penning of more curious wits My wit is meane God knowes I vnderstand But little and for mee to take in hand This worthy worke I might presume too much To meddle with for answere vnto such Shall so oppose me this poore simple skill I here haue showne is meant by me no ill In any kind but onely for to shewe The good affection I oâ— duty owe Vnto this City where I haue my being Whose great calamities I daily seeing Makes me breake forth and with a grieued soule Her miserable state for to condole Amongst the rest should I not be vnkinde As not to shew griefe where such cause I finde In th'ighest manner to a place I loue so As none in earth more dearer surely no But in this Action wil be so farre bold Not fearing what I write shal be controld ANd first to thee Lord doe I humbly bow For pardon for our sinnes whose angry brow Still Frownes as if no mercy thou wilt haue Vpon this City but will send to Graue All the inhabitants within a little space Oh be not angry still affoord vs grace For to repent and stay thine angry hand For who thy powerfull iudgements can withstand Lord we haue sinned and haue done amisse Wherefore thine anger fiercely kindled is Vpon this City vengeance thou hast powr'd And we like sheepe to slaughter are deuour'd Our sinnes forgiue behold our watrie eyes Our grieuous grones our lamentable cryes Long haue we fighed but thou hast not heard Oft haue we prayed but thou hast not spar'd As if euen with our prayers thou wer't offended As if thy iudgements neuer would be ended Faintnesse possesseth all our vitall parts Our courage failes vs daunted are our hearts In this extremity whether shall we flye But vnto thee oh God prostrate we lye Before thy Throne of grace and with bleeding wound And sobbing sighes our miseries we sound Do we not know Lord thou didst fend thy Sonne To paie a ransome for our deedes mis-done Euen from the Heauens where thou sies aboue So deare the life of sinners thou didst loue And when by our transgression mankind all Were subiect to thy wrath fast bound and thrall And we beleeue Lord helpe our vnbeleefe For of the same thou art our stay and chiefe Prop and vpholder we beleeue I say For on so sure a ground safe build we may VVhat thou hast promisde in thy sacred Word VVhat thou hast vowed oh most gracious Lord That thou the death of sinners not desirest But rather life to them for thou requirest That of their sinnefull liues they would amend And so gaine mercie where they did offend VVith patience therefore we attend thy will Not doubting but thy words thou wilt fulfill T Is not vnknowne to many a Forraine Nation The beautie of London and the scituation The strength the wealth and multitude of men It did containe at such good time as when God was at peace with vs the Famous Sparkes Of sweete inuention and the learned Clarkes VVorthy Diuines and Phisitions store Attournes Counsellors and pen-men more I thinke then need is there the reuerend Iudges Gaue many a sentence at which ill men grudges For there the Courts of justice haue bin kept Where many a Client hath full sorely wept The cause is knowne to God what shall I say That to this City in some sort I may Express good will there 't was the liberall Arts Did chieflie flourish men of excellent parts Did there abide as being the very Spring That to their Studies sweete refresh did bring There liu'd our King also his noble Peeres To whom the Lord grant life and many yeares Of happinesse on earth fame and renowne And in the end an euerlasting Crowne Of glorie there his Subiects at commaund In multitude were like vnto the sand That on the Sea shore Sea men vse to see VVhen waues are past and waters calmed be The seuerall sorts of Trades-men and of Arts The seuerall merchandize from Forraine parts The multitude of rich and wealthy men I am not able to expresse with pen And though for foure yeares past it so fell out That many Trades-men here were in great doubt They should haue bin vndone for trading fail'd And so long time their hearts were cold and quaild Yet the late marriage of our Royall King VVe thought a setling to this Realme would bring In such a wise that now our feare was past And well was he that did hold out till last That all men so with doings should abound That worke-men for our worke would nere be found Oh God how of our hopes we are deceiued And of our long expected ioyes bereaued How thou our foolish wisdome sets at nought And euen our selues vnto destruction brought Vaine is the helpe of man also are vayne The imagination of a mortall braine Oh London London thou didst feele the Rod But neuer rightly lookt vp to thy God That strook thee with it when thou feltst the smart Euen at the first then with a grieued heart Thou of thy grieuous sinnes shouldst haue repented And so Gods angry Iudgements haue preuented This was neglected and O most vnkinde Gods former benefits imprint in minde Thou didsts not doe for assuredly Before thy wickednesse to him did cry For heauie vengeance he was wondrous kinde To thee and thou didst many fauours finde From him we are apt to forget God wot Or if we doe remember we beare not
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
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
of March 207 0 From the 3 to the 10 210 0 From the 10 to the 17 261 4 From the 17 to the 24 226 8 From the 24 to the 31 243 11 From the 31 to the 7 of April 239 10 From the 7 to the 14 256 24 From the 14 to the 21 230 25 From the 21 to the 28 305 26 From the 23 to the 5 of May 292 30 From the 5 to the 12 332 45 From the 12 to the 19 379 71 From the 19 to the 26 401 78 From the 26 to the 2 of Iune 395 69 From the 2 to the 9 434 97 From the 9 to the 16 510 165 From the 16 to the 23 640 239 From the 23 to the 30 942 390 From the 30 to the 7 of Iuly 1222 593 From the 7 to the 14 1741 1004 From the 14 to the 21 2850 1819 From the 21 to the 28 3583 2471 From the 28 to the 4 of August 4517 3659 From the 4 of August to the 11 4855 4115 From the 11 to the 18 5205 4463 From the 18 to the 25 4841 4218 From the 25 to the 1 of September 3897 3344 From the 1 of September to the 8 3157 2550 From the 8 to the 15 2148 1672 From the 15 to the 22 1994 1555 From the 22 to the 29 1256 85â— From the 29 to the 6 of October 838 538 From the 6 of October to the 13 â—15 511 From the 13 to the 20 651 331 From the 20 to the 27 375 134 From the 27 to the 3 of Nouember 357 89 From the 3 of Nouember to the 10 319 92 From the 10 to the 17 274 48 From the 17 to the 24 231 27 From the 24 to the 1 of December 190 15 From the 1 of December to the 8 181 15 From the 8 to the 15 of the same 168 6 Totall from the 33 of December 1624 to the 15 of December 1625. 53914. Whereof of the plague 35417. The Totall of the last great sicknesse hapning in the beginning of the Raigne of our late Soueraigne Lord King Iames deceased viz. From the 23. of December 1602. to the 22. of December 1603. there dyed of all diseases in London and the Liberties 38244. wherof of the plague 30578. Wherein the greatest number that dyed in one weeke was in London and the Liberties in all 3385. Whereof the plague 3035. IN Former times this Kingdome and City haue bin likewise visited as soone after the Conquest of King William Duke of Normandy there happened a fearefull plague As likewise in the Raigne of King Edward the third and in the yeare 1562. in which yeare there died of the Pestilence 20136. also in Anno 1592. in which yeare there dyed in all 25886. whereof the plague in and about London 1503. Other parts of the world haue likewise felt Gods hand as you may read in Scripture of Ierusalem c. Further it is recorded of the City called the grand Cair in Turkey once euery seauen yeares there hapneth a vehement Contation to the losse of most part of the people there In Rome there haue dyed 2000. a day and 100000. in a yeare In Constantinople 5000. a day and 700000. within six months In the Citty of Paris in France 100000. in a yeare viz. in Anno 1348. In Millan Padua and Venice 100000. in each City within two yeares In Bohemia 300000. in the like space and so likewise in other Cities and Kingdomes and at seuerall times hath God shewen his power AS one a sleepe of many pleasing toyes Oft times doth dreame and thinkes that he enioyes That which indeed he doth not when he wakes Into his former dumpes himselfe betakes So after we such bitter stormes had tasted For want of Trade whilst that the sicknesse lasted Luld with vaine hope when as we still did see The sicknesse cease that here a Terme should be VVithout all question kept thus thought we then And for a while we were right ioyfull men Our shops begin to open we prepare And set them out with sundry sorts of ware Although before this time windowes stood bare Open or shut we did not greatly care When newes doth come that sets vs into passion The King proclaimeth by his Proclamation That there no Terme of Michael should be kept But where the Proclamation did direct VVhich was to Reading good for Barke shire men You may coniecture what a plunge we then VVere put vnto how shall our Rent be payd And other needments which we want defrayd Now many a poore soule in the streetes we see For want to beg and craue which would not be But that the times so hard are others sham'd Although their need is great yet to be nam'd A craâ—ing begger much they would endure Ere they could brooke to put the same in vre And therefore farre more harder was their case Then those that beg'd and car'd not to be base T is such a time that many a sigh is fet By those we good-men call yet runne in debt And further also I thinke like to runne Good Lord amend it else we are vndone Albeit 't is a comfort that we finde That King and great men were so well inclin'd Their charitable deedes for to expresse In these our great afflictions to redresse The wants of poore men which did so abound VVithin this City that no place was found VVithout a multitude and to preuent Meanes was collected orders there were sent By Proclamation how it should be vsde That so their worthy deedes be not abusde This was commended to the weighty care Of Londons Gouernour the worthy Maior Who in the same did shew himselfe vpright Got great applause in all the peoples sight This worthy Act did many others mooue To shew their Charity and Christian loue Yea those that had not much themselues would giue Of that they had poore people to relieue In these sad times abroad and at the doore Thus were we moou'd so far'd it with the poore Examples surely are of wondrous force In such sad times as these to strike remorse Into mens hearts but more when as we see Before our eyes the woefull misery Of those that want no doubt most that were here And saw these things more liberall farre they were Then earst before and to tell plaine my minde What others write my selfe did daily finde Them very free for wheresoere I was At home or broad giuing there alwayes was By one or other vnto those that cri'd Who hardly of an Almes deed were deni'd Of them they askt foretimes it was not so But many should be ask't that would say no Before that we would see ones wants relieued So hard our hearts were to poore soules y'grieued And now to you that in the Country be Heare not the cryes of poore nor yet doe see Their miserable wants how they haue far'd And how we to our powers haue not spar'd Our meanes for to relieue them if we slacke Let not our slacknesse you hard hearted make When you shalberequired I may say We haue done well whilst you haue beene away Still neede there is and like is so to be 'T will be a pleasing thing for vs to see You home againe in peace if much you make Of poore afflicted ones for Christ his sake LAstly to all Residers of this Land That at this time haue felt the Almighties hand Or seene the heauy iudgements that haue beene Sith that the cause thereof is onely sinne For which we haue euduted many a smart And oft times gone to bed with aking heart Like dreaded children let vs now be wise And haue a care that we doe not despise Or set at light the anger of our God Least he in furie with a greater rod In vengeance come vpon vs warning take By this most grieuous chastment now awake And looke about vs let vs call to minde VVhat mightie Cities we in writings finde That heretofore for glorie bare the bell And through the world did far and neere excell The Famous Niniue Ierusalem Troy Carthage Roome and many more with them Which for their sinnes were wholly ouerthrowne Their standing places hardly to be knowne And in this sad disaster let vs not Forget the woefull state which now God wot Renown'd Iudea and the Easterne Lands That now lye groaning vnder Turkish bands The famous Grecia many Countries more VVho all one God and Sauiour did adore That we do now but going farre astray Haue wrought vnto themselues such sad anoy That griefe it is to tell Oh that my pen Or all the arte I haue could now mooue men To leaue their euill courses and to turne Vnto their maker inwardly to mourne For what hath bin the cause of this sad woe And gaine the loue of him that now our foe Appeares to be how haue we wandred wide In vaine excesse of ryot sinfull pride Where was the loue that with vs should be found And with Gods seruants should to all abound VVas it not turn'd to hatred and despite Or such a loue as strayd farre from the right Most filthy fraud we lou'd for to deceiue And if we could our neighbours to bereaue Of that they had be 't but a good name If we had none we enui'd at the same Our swearing and blaspheming hatefull lyes Haue pe'rst the very Heauens and there cries For flaming vengeance and our great oppression Haue there bin likewise and haue made confession Before we 'd do 't our selues our beastly lust And many other sinnes did sticke as rust Vpon our sinfull soules oh now like men Le ts rouse these dang'rous Adders from their den These haue bin they that haue our sorrows sought And these were they that to destruction brought The other wofull Countries these are they That if we not forsake them will destroy Our wofull Land likewise now let vs weepe And drench our eyes in flouds of sorrowes deepe That we so great a God haue not regarded Conclude that we most iustly are rewarded For our misdeedes and let vs from them cease This is the way to make a finall peace 'Twixt God and vs so let all good men pray Amen Amen with me God grant we may FINIS