WYllyam Cecill knight, high Stewarde of the Citie of Westminster, and Ambrose Caue knight, Chauncelour of the Duchye of Lancaster, two of the priuie counsell to the Quenes moste excellent Maiestie: To the Baylyffe, Headboroughes, Constables, and other officers within the sayde Citie, or within the liberties of the Duchye of Lancaster within the sayde Citie, greetyng. Knowe ye that our sayde soueraigne Lady the Quene, hauyng compassion of the estate of that her Citie, because of the long visitation therof with the plague, and beyng desirous that it myght please almightie God to continue the inclinatiō of his mercy towardes the same, by ceassing of the infection therof vtterly, so as the assemblees of her Iustices and mi­nisters, myght returne thyther safely, to minister Iustice and lawe, and all others her good louyng subiectes to repayre also thyther, and receaue comfort therof, according to the necessitie of theyr causes, and as heretofore hath ben accustomed: Hath ther­fore thought meete and agreable to the wyll of almightie God, to cause all maner of good orders that may be deuysed for this purpose, to be spedyly and duely executed. For whiche purpose, by her Maiesties ex­presse commaundement geuen to vs, both by her gracious speache and letters: We to whom the gouer­naunce of the sayde Citie vnder her Maiestie doth belong, in the ryght of our sayde seuerall offices aboue mentioned, do wyll and strayghtly commaunde you, that you shall accordyng to the good example of the orders deuised by the ryght honorable the Lorde Maior of the Citie of London, and the Aldermen of the same, publishe this our order folowyng, and the same cause to be duely obserued and kept.

Fyrst, we wyll and commaunde you in the name of our sayde soueraigne Lad the Quene, that all and euery person, now kepyng, or that hereafter shall kepe any mansion house, Inne, lodgyng, or shoppe, within that Citie or liberties, beyng at this present, or that hereafter shalbe visited with the plague, or that hath ben visited within twenty dayes before this present daye: do forthwith after the publication hereof, shutte vp both theyr dores and wyndowes towardes the streates or common wayes, by the space of fortie dayes, then next ensuyng, from the last tyme of the visitation or such sicknes of any person within theyr sayde house or shoppe, and that nother the owner, master, or keper of the same house or shoppe, nor any person belongyng to the same house, at any tyme within the same space, go forth of the same, or procure or permit any person, beyng cleane or whole, and not infected with the sayde [...] tagious sicknes, to resort or come into theyr house or shoppe, vppon payne to be committed to the op [...] stockes, and there to abyde the space of seuen dayes, or lesse, or more, as the Bayliffe and Headboroughes and head Constables of the Paryshe shall thynke meete: and after that, to be committed to the commen gayle, there to remayne vntyll the ende of fortie dayes, from the tyme of the fyrst cōmitting to the stockes, without bayle or maynpryse. And yet because Christian charitie requireth, that yf it shall happen that the keper or owner of the house or shoppe, which shalbe thus shutte vp as afore is saide, be so poore as the same cannot without some reliefe of other good people, abyde in theyr houses, and susteyne them selues and famyly with necessary victuell and fuell: Therfore the sayde officers aforesayde, with the Curate of euery paryshe, and the Churchwardens of the same, shall cause a collection to be made euery Sunday, or oftener, of the charitie of all the inhabitauntes of the paryshe, and shall appoynt and order certayne ho­nest charitable persons, with the sayde collections, to relieue the sayde poore infected persons, with suche kynde of victuell and fuell, as shalbe mete and requisite for the persons so shutte vp and forbidden to come abrode, duryng the foresayde space of fortie dayes.

AND further, where it is euidently knowen that in the sayde Citie of Westminster, there be grea­ter numbres of people inhabytyng, and as it were swarmyng in euery rome, than can reasonably haue theyr sustentation by theyr honest labours or trade of lyuyng, by reason that for gredinesse and lucre▪ ma­ny owners or tenauntes of houses, do take in to them other inhabitauntes and famylyes, to dwell in some part of theyr chambers, shoppes, cellers, or leanetooes, paying for the same also suche excessyue wekely, or other kynde of rentes, as they can not maynteyne them selues without sekyng the same by sundry kyndes of disorder. For remedy wherof, there hath ben in that Citie auncient good orders and burges lawes prouided: Therfore it is ordered, that all maner of persons that dwell in any house, which hath serued within these twelue monethes but for one household, shall suffer no persons, other then such as shalbe without fraude knowen to be part of theyr famylye, to dwell and abyde, otherwyse then gestes do in Innes, or strangers do hyre theyr lodgynges for some small tyme, in any part of theyr sayde houses, after the .x. of Apryll next: but that other the one or the other famylye shall remoue from thence, and the whole house, with the chambers, shoppes, and cellers, shalbe occupyed but with one ruler, master, or keper, and one famylye thereto belongyng, vppon payne that whosoeuer shall do to the contrary, shalbe punyshed accordyng to the auncient orders in that behalfe heretofore deuised. And if that shall not be sene sufficient, further remedy shalbe by order prouided, as to such a case is requisite.