The thankfull minds we should and therefore we Euen for our sinnes most iustly plagued be Should we perswade our selues Almighty Ioue This Famous City did mor deerely loue Then others that his power could not withstand But in the former ages felt his hand Or shall we thinke that shortned is his Arme Or that he will not suffer so much harme To come vpon vs as he did to those That sinn'd aswell as we O no repose Nor harbor in your hearts so vaine a thought For euen as they were to destruction brought Euen so shall we if we do still offend And do not of our sinfull liues amend For as the Lord is by his mercy knowne To be a gracious God and he hath shewne That in his mercy he doth farre surpasse Which plainely doth appeare but yet whereas Almighty God in mercy doth abound Take this for certaine and a constant ground As on his mercies we may boldly trust So in his Iudgements is he alwayes iust Aye me I need not long to treate of this How many demonstrations dayly is How many seuerall bels do sadly ring The dolefull tune of this most certaine thing In this our present sad disastrous plight Whilst many soules haue bid the world godnight My flesh do tremble I amazed stand To see the force of Gods Almighty hand My hand do quake and eke my ioynts do shiuer To see what deadly Arrowes from his Quiuer Are now sent forth to this forsaken Citty Whose very miseries my soule doth pitty GO on my muse now and right sadly tell The dolefull sound that euery Parish bell Within this poore aflicted Cittie make That we may from our sinfull liues awake Our daily sorrowes and continuall feares Our losse of deere friends and our daily teares That we for them do shed the sundry moanes Deepe hearted sighings and the gricuous groanes That many a husband for his tender wife Sends forth for her that is bereau'd of life How many a wife mournes for her Turtle mate That now lyes gasping strucke by cruell fate Of conquering Death and when thou haft so done Tell how the father grieues for his lost sonne The wofull screeches many a mother mild Bitterly sends forth for her dying child How many a sonne weepes for his louing father Whose loue so deere was that he would more rather Haue dyde himselfe euen such was his good will But we cannot our owne desires fullfill How many a daughter grieues for her deer mother And many a sister for her louing brother And many a brother for his louing sister That knew not what he lost before he mist her Here weepes the seruant for his louing Maister And grieues that Death is growne so great a waster There sighes the Maister for his louing man For that he is not able neither can Saue his poore seruants life with weeping eyes The carefull mayden for her Mistresse cryes The mistresse likewise for her maide doth moane Because so good a seruant 's dead and gone Neighbour for neighbor one friend for another Their loues were such their griefes they cannot smother The Preacher for his flocke and they for him We waile and weepe vntill our eyes are dim And then O Lord a sad thing for to see Yet dayly such sad spectacles there be They that before so sadly moumed haue By other Friends are shortly brought to graue VVith much adoe for Friends are very few In this their last farewell their loues to shew SVch is the force of Deaths fell conquering hand That none in this world can his power withstand T is not the power of a mighty King Can serue to free him from Deaths deadly sting Much lesse the title of a Lord or Knight Can keepe their persons from this pale-fac't wight T is not the wisedome of a learned man No there is neither Arte nor wisedome can Be forcible enough with Arte or wile Eyther to stay deaths stroke or him beguile Marke it I pray you how he makes men reele His Bow is iron sure and his Arrowes steele How many through his might doe daily dye How many likewise doe there sprawling lye How many also dead in fields are found And suddainly in streetes dosall to ground Euen as they passe and then before were well And felt but little paine vntill they fell STay gentle death for I assure you can The parties held an vpright honest man You are about to deale I tell you more Of wealth he hath a great aboundant store And liberally he giueth to the poore Of that he hath the like giuen at his doore There 's very few that doth nay hardly any Although there doe in wealth surpasse him many I That is well done I commend you better And for your kindnesse will remaine your debtor That miserable griping rusty Chuffe That alwayes wanted neuer had enough And neuer car'd how many men were kild So he might haue his Cofers stuft and fild Ah wr tched Carle I trust that there is none True hearted wight will weep when thou art gone They in thy life time wept and were not heard Now at thy death they rightly may be spar'd KNow you what you haue done y 'aue flaine a woman That for her vertuous carriage I thinke no man VVill finde the like againe now good Sir tell To take the good away doe you do well Doth there not many an idle Gossip stay VVho long before wee 'd faine haue had away Leaue of for shame away now get you gone Goe take the worst sort leaue the best alone LOrd if 't were so what would become of me That know my selfe to be as bad may be For there 's not onely one but thousands more That I goe farre behind that went before Many a braue Scholler many a worthy Teacher Many a good liuer many a zealous Preacher That liu'd as lights and were to thee right deare So carefully they walked in thy feare But I alas haue much abusde thy will Had not a care thy hests for to fulfill Haue sinn'd extreamly and assuredly Had long before this time deseru'd to dye But yet O Lord I see 't is not thy will Thou spar'st my life wilt haue me tarry still And now I pray thee whilst I haue my being Sith that thou hast vouchsaft to me the seeing Wretch that I am of this thy mighty power Grant that hereafter daily and each houre For that same small time and the little space Of life that thou shalt grant me by thy grace I may redeeme time which I lewdly spent Bewaile my sinnes and heartily repent VVHen hoary hyems now had chang'd his hue And for that yeare had bid the world a due When trees gan sprout the grasse and euery thing Lookt greene and faire lambes skipt the bird did sing And with their warbling notes in woods did Ring Their makers prayse according to their kinde April the moneth was cald for so I finde For fore that time there dyed not any store That either had the tokens or plague sore
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
Howbeit now the sicknesse as I heare Haue brought these hardy men into great feare Yet to their kindred still their loue is such To giue them kind reliefe they will not grutch Prouided alwayes that they may be pent In some remoted place whereas the sent May not annoy the dwellers of the Towne Else one against another well might frowne Some two miles off the same there stands a hill That if you saw it surely say you will It is a great one likewise very high Not farre vpon nor yet not very nigh A wood doth stand Puckham is cald by name And there abouts is of great note and fame In nutting time then famous let it be A little more for that we now do see It prooues a shelter to our London men VVho there did lurke as Foxes in their den But if they chanc't abroad once for to stere More dreadfull far then wolues they did appeare To friend or foe if once they doe them spie Their sight more fell then Basilis koes eye There lodg'd that hard Squire Sir Henry hight A valiant doubty and couragious spright There lay that Lady bright his partner deare That were most brauely brought on horse-back there With diuers others men of mickle worth That were resolu'd none of them to come forth But round about the wood to roue and range Vntill the Moone had past her full and change This was the order then but out alas VVhilst we on hills are there 's a London Asse Or Carrier comes to Towne within bow shot When as the sicknesse raign'd exceeding hot His packe he doth vntie and London ware Lyes open to be catch't with Cheltnam ayre High time it is for safety to prouide More harme then ere aware may them betide The matter knowne some wise men of the Towne Bold affrappeth this foole hardy Clowne With bitter threates and with a dire aspect This great presumptuous act they do detect And to him spake thus or to this effect Thou London vagrant bold presumptuous man All words to good for thee that name we can Is this a place for thee for to vntie At such a time as this now verily If streight thou do'st not trusse and quickly runne From this same coast wee le shoot thee with a Gun At which hard words forthwith it did appeare How much it deern'd him by the trembling feare Of all his ioynts for greatly he did quake And seem'd as if his very heart did ake Sighing quoth he good sits be not offended VVhat 's done amisse hereafter shall be mended COurage braue London heart vnto thee take For euery weeke the sicknesse now doth slake What shall we alwayes faint be drooping men And thinke that nere good time will come agen Indeede 't is true many our Friends are gone And deare ones too we cannot choose but moane For them a while Gods hand we cannot stay When he doth please to strike well wish we may Time is for all a time there is to die And as they are so must be you and I A debt we owe that is to God a Death Short is our life and soone gone is our breath Here is no resting place Pilgrims we are VVithin this world vnto a Country farre VVe haue to trace it is to Heauens high To which we cannot come before we die They are in rest no doubt we still in care Sorrow we taste but they doe better fare LIke as in bloody field a battell fought By raging enemies that alwayes sought To worke vnto each other harme and skath And nought but death could swage their banefull wrath VVhere many thousands in one battel dye And many groueling on the earth doe lye After a long and weary battel tride So many wounded eke so many dyde Vpon retire they doe their losses count And finde they doe in number much surmount Of this poore Citie such now was the case When time had made so many runne the race Of this their mortall liues the rest behind To know the perfect number were inclin'd Of those that dy'd the seuerall Bills they view And cast them vp to be informed true The better to expresse cease Verse a while And let vs forwards in another stile GEntle Reader I am not ignorant what great mortallity hath beene reported and verily beleeued to be in London in almost all places of this Kingdome by reason of this sicknesse and that they conceiued a farre greater number dyed then indeed there did or at least-wise not considering or once imagining such a multitude of people men women and children should bee in one place or City thought verily there were hardly any or very few of vs left a liue Indeede the streetes were empty in respect of the large multitudes that formerly before this great sicknesse past too and fro in it but there was no grasse growing in any streets of note for want of trading as they conceiued for I perswade me as many people past too and fro in the streetes of the sayd City in the highest of the sicknesse vpon their occasions as did at any time in the streetes of any other City or great Towne of this Kingdome where the sicknesse was not setting Faires and appointed assemblies aside wherefore we were not all dead Indeede if God Almighty had goneon in wrath as of long time you see he did continue we should haue all beene ere long consumed But hee is a God of mercy and is graciously pleased to leaue some behind yea very many for a witnesse both of his Iustice and Mercy And as in my former similitude after a battell fought aswell the seuerall armies as the seuerall aduerse Countries will hearken after and take notice of the losse receiued although they may be much mooued for the same So I perswade my selfe both City and Country in this Kingdome that haue had no certainty of the number that haue dyed in this present visitation although they wish well to the City it being the harbour of many of their kindred and friends and in a manner the beauty wealth and strength of this nation will desire notwithstanding to be truly informed and therefore as ayming altogether to make my poore subiect profitable or pleasing or at least wise not burthen-some to all to whose hands it shall happen to come I haue taken this paines to set downe the number both in grosse and as they dyed weekly so may you perceiue the increase and decrease There dyed in London and the Lyberties thereof  Totall Plague FRom the 23 of December to the 30 of the same 211 0 From the 30 of December to the 6 of Ianuary 220 1 From the 6 of Ianuary to the 13. of the same 196 1 From the 13 of Ianuary to the 20 of the same 240 0 From the 20 to the 27 226 0 From the 27 to the 3 of February 174 3 From the 3 to the 10 204 5 From the 10 to the 17 211 3 From the 17 to the 24 252 1 From the 24 to the 3
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