OH London, thou Paragon of this Kingdome for beauty & braue buildings, how art thou now widowed of thy chiefest Inhabi­tants, how art thou left disconsolate, for lacke of thy Merchants, and industricus tradesmen, how sit [...]st thou mourning for losse of thy sons and daughters, all the Gentry, that of late made thee their Sanctu­ry of safety hath now left thée, and with the wings of feare flies from thee as from a place of terrour, by reason of this grieuous visitation héere laid vpon thee, where to the number of 16000 of thy ablest In­habitants are departed into the Countrey, as they haue béene lately numbred in diuers of thy Parishes

Besides, the hourly ringing of dead mens knels, the digging vp of graues, the shutting vp of doores, the blazing forth of Red Crosses, and the setting Lord haue mercy vpon vs. vpon the forefront of infe­cted houses, makes the remainder of thy Inhabitants hearts to trem­ble and qua [...]e, and to say, what shall we doe to saue our liues.

Some flies to their tender harted Parents to be succored, some to their brothers and sisters, some to their dearest acquaintance, some to their lands and liuings in the Country, to their faire builded houses, leauing their goods and all they haue here behind them in this City, as it were in the kéeping of strangers.

What multitudes do we sée dailie passing into all Countries and shi [...]es of this Kingdome, with their whole families, some to one place some to another, not daring once to looke backe to this discomforted Citie, both by Waggon, Coach-horse and foot, euen as it were bea­ring packs vpon their backs to lodge vpon.

Oh you men of much feare, why doe you thus doe? In not God as strong there as here, doth not his seruant death as soone strike you in the Country, as in the Citie: wheresoeuer you goe or fly he can find you forth: descend into the depths of the earth, there hee will follow you, if you a [...]cend the cloudes he is there also, if to the sea, he will bee there likewise, and at his pleasure with his pale Dart of vengeance he will suddenly strike you.

There is no flying from God, for his hand, is both swift & strong, and can in the twinkling of an eye if so he please destroy vs all, and follow vs in any place wheresoeuer we seeke to hide our selues: goe not away, but stay by it, set to your helping hands to reléeue the poore which now are shut vp in the time of this gréeuous visitation, & then no doubt but God in his mercy will stay his heauie wrath and indig­nation, here inflicted vpon vs.

Yet man I sée is mistrustfull, and dares not trust God so much in the City as in the Country, else would they not flye so fast as they doe, but rather stay here to comfort the inflicted, and soonerly at home in their downe beds, then vpon hard flocks abroad.

Great are the woes of many flying Citizens, that for want of lodging, are forced to lie in the fields in haycocks, and pads of straw: some in Barnes, some in stables, some in shéepecots, some in hog-hou­ses, yea most in simple cottages, where the fearfull Country people dare hardly come néere them, but euer kéepe vpon the winde side, lest this doubted infection should blow vpon them.

I haue heard of a yong man of this Citie that in this present sick­nesse, went to his father in the Country to bée receiued, who would giue him no entertainment, till hee had washt himselfe starke naked in a pond of water, and so without raiment to come naked into his house, where new cloathes were ready prouided for him, and the old ones cast quite away, this was the feare of a father to his sonne.

Others I haue knowne lodged in Barnes for a whole moneth to­gether before they were suffered to come in any house, (though their neerest kinsfolks) to proue if they were infected or not, and then with much feare they were receiued in: all which is now our Citizens vsage in many Countries, so great is the doubt of simple people.

There scarcely can a Citizen passe the high-waies without a Cer­tificate, as the vse of vagrants are, but must be either conuayed from towne with bills and clubs, or kept out at the townes end as Gypsies haue béene in times past.

Oh misery, vpon misery, that one English man should thus vse another and to b [...] so estranged, that they will hardly let a Traueller haue a péece of bread, or a cup of small drinke for his money, vnlesse he will eate and drinke it by the high-way, and after receiuing mony they wil wash it in a bowle of clean water, for feare the siluer should haue the Infection.

Many haue dyed trauelling by the way for want of succour and warmé lodging, and being dead they haue béen buried cloathes & all, without praier or Church rights belonging to Christian buriall, most like vnto Infidels, or as beasts without soules.

The vsage of the Country is so hard that at this present time that a fathers house haue béen shut vp for giuing his sonne but one nights lod [...]ing, and not suffered to come abroad for a whole months space, though neuer so cleare from infection.

These and such like are the terrors of the Plague, which makes the Country-man shun a Londoner as from a Bazaliske or Cockatrice, whose very sight and eies séemeth to cary infection: some of them at a Citizens passing by, will close vp their doores, and looke out a far off [...] [...]heir windows, to see if they passe thorow the Towne and not call i [...] at any house at all.

This makes London now almost a forsaken City, for her Mar­ke [...]s are greatly decayed, and grow barren, for the Country-woman dares not bring vp her butter, chéese, egges and such like things, but sel [...]s them more dearer by the way as she comes, and more quicker, then if they should furnish our Markets with the same, and being come hither, she is in danger of shuting vp at her returne backe, for the very mony she takes for her commodities is thought to bring the Plague downe with it into the Country.

Not a Carier is scarce suffered to bring vp prouision for the Citie, nor beare the like downe againe, but is kept out of the Towne from whence he came and dwelleth, and himselfe and his cattle compelled t [...] lie in the fields, and not any of them suffered to cary downe people either yong or old, though their owne sons, sisters, brothers or daugh­ters, such are the sorrowes of these times, God amend them when his good will and pleasure is.

It is reported that in Greenwich a Noblemans footman comming by very sicke, died in a Barne, for which the owner thereof, had both his Barne, and his house shut vp for a whole month after, and none of his houshold suffered to come abroad, which is a more cruelty & strict­nesse then is here now in London, where the hand of God now hea­uily striketh.

For here the care of our Magistrats is such, that séeing the distresse of the poore growing great by reason of rich mens leauing the Citie, that should supply them with reliefe, and the deadnesse of the time, when poore men would worke if they had it, and hauing wrought they cannot get money when they haue earn'd it, all this considered the care of our King hath beene graciously cast vpon vs, in comman­ding the poore, and such as be shut vp to bée mercifully lookt vnto, and most fauourably comforted by our Magistrats.

The prouidence of the Lord Maior is greatly to be commended in requesting the Companies of the City to extend their beneuolence to the poore & infected houses, by whose appointment the same is weekly most charitably giuen: likewise his care deserueth the like commen­dations, in perswading the people of ability to giue their weekely re­liefes to the poore that are not able to helpe themselues: also the zeale of our Preachers, that morning euening, and at all times humbly de­sireth God to be mercifull to this distressed City now in the hand of God, euen ready to be destroyed.

And now to conclude, it is not your flying from the City, the lea­uing your houses, almost empty in euery street, your going into fresh ayres & pleasant fields, nor your abiding in Country houses can keep you from this terrible stroke of death, for you there are visited as wel as here, and dye as suddenly in the Country, as we in London.

Many could I name at this present time, that no sooner setled in the Country, as they thinke in safety, but haue dyed presently, there­fore it is prayer and true contrition of sins that must allay Gods hea­uie wrath, and not your lurking in corners, and by places, for Death can find you euery where he goes before you, he followes after, hee beares you company, he spares none, neither Prince nor Peasant, old nor yong, be they neuer so noble, rich, strong, wise, learned, or run­ning in Physicke, hee comes into your counting houses and ki [...]eth your money tellers, hee ouerthrowes the dancer, and stoppeth, [...]he sweet voice of the singer, hee breakes wedlocke, makes widows, fa­therlesse children, and comes in the Chambers of Merchants, their wiues and families: therefore say not with the heathen Philosophers that this Pestilence commeth by mortall chance, by concourse of stars infecting the ayre, corrupting and poysoning of liuing things▪[?] No, it is the messenger of God, his scourge & crosse to all [...] good and bad, in the reward of sin, wherein we are all borne and [...]ceiued: Then Lord haue mercy vpon vs, according to thy great [...] ­cies and louing kindnesse, To whom (Oh sweet Lord) we m [...]e our daily Praiers, in this grieuous time of Visitation, trusting thou [...]ll most gratiously heare vs for thy deare Sonnes sake our Saui [...]r Iesus Christ, Amen.