IT is no doubt, that the corruption of the Aire, together with vncleanly and vnwholsome keeping of dwell [...]ng, where many are pestred toge­ther, as also the not-obseruing to haue fires priuate & publikely made as well within [...]ouses, as without in the streets, at times when the Aire is infected, are great occasions to increase, corrupt, and produce pestilent Diseases. Neither can it be denyed, that the ouer-boldnesse of many prea­sing into infected places, and the lewdnesse of others with Sores vpon them, presuming into the open Ayre, some of wilfulnesse, but truly many of necessity, contaminateth and corrupteth diuers: as the Leprosie, the Pocks, and sundry such vncleane diseases doe: as by drinking, lying in company, and other such meanes, where pure complexions and cleane blouds are defiled with such as are putrified; and therefore carefully to be auoyded. But all these are accidentall, and rather effects then the cause. For it plainly appeareth in the Booke of Exodus, that when it pleased the Almighty God to smite the Aegyptians, the Children of Jsrael were ap­pointed to dip Isop in the Bloud of the Paschall Lambe, and smite of that bloud on the outward Posts of their dores, that when the slayer came to destroy in one night all the first borne in Aegypt, he might passe ouer the houses of Gods children. So that it is plaine, it was an Angell then sent to smite those cruell people with the Pestilence.

Then first▪ this City of London, cannot be denyed, to haue had as great blessings as euer had Ierusalem: for here God hath long time beene pre­sent by his Word and Sacraments, yet they haue abounded in all iniquity, when Ierusalem long since had not a stone left vpon a stone.

Secondly, London is situated as pleasantly as Sodom, and her sister Ci­ties before they sunke, euen for the same sinnes that wee haue commit­ted: for the sinne of Sodom (saith the Prophet Ezechiel) was pride, fulnesse of bread, and contempt of the poore. That these sinnes raigne in London, who can deny? To them, adde fulnesse of drinke; for therein wee exceede the Nation, that within these fifty yeeres wee hated for drun­kennesse: and I doubt, That vnname▪able sinne of Sodomy is vsed in too many places of the City. Yet London stands, and so God grant with his mercy it long may.

Lastly, where in the change of Princes, (especially after long peace, as London most happily enioyed all the time of our late Soueraigne Queene Eli [...]beth, of worthy memory) many Cities haue come to miserable spoile, if not to ruine: yet London, by our most potent Lord and King, hath increased in tranquillity, blessing powring vpon blessing: saue only now for our negligence▪ God hath with his owne hand smitten vs, and sent many to mourne in death after our late Soueraigne deceased, whom we had almost vngratefully forgotten in a day.

In the City, called the great Caire, there is a Plague once euery seu [...] yeeres, which commeth with such a fiercenesse, that the most part of the people there doe dye thereof: and diuers of them that remaine aliue, lose their eye-sight with the vapours and great heat which commeth from the ground.

In the yeere of Christ, 81. and in the yeere 188. there continued a great time a Plague in Rome, of which there dayly dyed two thousand people.

In the yeere 254. fifteene Prouinces of the Romane Empire, were in a manner consumed with the Pestilence.

In the yeere 530▪ there dyed in Constantinople fiue thousand a day, and diuers times ten thousand: and at that time, in some other parts of Greece, there were not sufficient liuing men left to bury their dead.

And in the yeere 1569. there fell such a Plague in Constantinople, that there died in six moneths space, seuen hundred thousand persons, and the yeere following fell such a famine, that a penny loafe of Bread of English money, was worth a crowne of gold: by reason whereof, the people died as fast then of the Famine, as they did before of the Plague.

In the yeere 540. there began an vniuersall Plague all ouer the world, that continued 50. yeeres with great violence.

In the yeere 1348. in Paris in Fra [...]ce, there dyed a hundred thousand people of the Plague.

In the yeere 1359. so great a Pestilence there was in Italy, that there were scarce ten left of a thousand.

In the yeere 1521. there died in Rome a hundred thousand of the Pe­stilence.

In the yeeres 1576. and 77. in Millan, Padua and Ʋenice, there fell a hundred thousand in euery City: and in Bohemia (being but a small King­dome) here dyed three hundred thousand the same time.

Soon after the conquest of King William, Duke of Normandy, when the people were subdued to him, and the Knights fees rated which he had made, an [...] himselfe placed with Crowne and Scepter, he tooke number of the Acres of land in all the Realme, and of all the people, and of all the cat­tell: after which fell so sore a Plague, that the people died in such number, that Tillag [...] decayed, Famine ensued, with Rot of cattell, that men were fa [...]ne to eat [...]lesh of Dogs, Cats and Mice. A fearefull example for Princes.

In the Ra [...]gne of King Edward the third, there fell a very great Pesti­lence in the East-Indies, among the Tartarians, Saracens and Turkes, which laste [...] the space of seuen yeeres: through the feare whereof, many of the Heath [...]ns willingly offred themselues to become Christians. And shortly after, [...]y reason of Passengers from one Prouince to another, the same Pestilenc [...] was dispersed in many Christian Kingdomes, & amongst other places, b [...]ught into England; where it was so forcible all ouer the Land, that not [...]nely men, but also Beasts, Birds and Fishes were smitten therewith, and [...]ound dead with Botches vpon them. Also among men, the numbers tha [...] were left aliue, were scarcely sufficient to bury their dead. At which t [...]me, with the rest that then dyed of the Plague, Henry, Duke of Lancaster Blanch, Duchesse of Lancaster, and the Earle of War­wicke ended their [...]iues. So that in one yeere, in a little plot of ground of thirteene Acres co [...]passe, then called Spittle-croft, and now the Charter­house, was buried fif [...]y thousand persons, besides all them that were buri­ed in the Church-ya [...]ds, and diuers places in the fields.

Also in Barbary, Alexandria, Tripolie, and in Constantinople, in the yeere 1602. fell so grieuous a Plague, that there dyed three thousand a day for a long time together.

Our visitations, though our sinnes exceede, haue beene more gentle: For in the first great Plague in our memory, after the lo [...]e of New-hauen, from the first of Ianuary 1562. to December 1563. there dyed of the Plague, twenty thousand, one hundred, thirty six.

In the second great Visitation, from the 20. of December 1592. to the 23. of the same moneth, in the yeere 1593. dyed in all 25886. of the Plague in and about London, 15003. And in the yeere before, 2000.

In the last Visitation which it pleased God to strike vs with, at the com­ming in of King Iames of happy memory, there dyed from the 17. of De­cember 1602. to the 14 of Iuly 1603. the whole number in London and the Liberties, 4314. Whereof of the Plague, 3310.

From the 25. of August, to the 1. of September, there dyed in Lon­don and the Liberties, 3385. whereof of the Plague 3035. being the grea­test number that dyed in one weeke.

From the 23. of December, 1602. vnto the 22. of December, 1603. there died of all Diseases, within London and the Liberties, thirty eight thousand, two hundred, foure and forty; whereof, of the Plague, thirty thousand, fiue hundred, seuenty eight: and the next yeere following, London was cleere of that infection, and then were all the Shires in Eng­land grieuously visited. Note the worke of God.

Now those that dyed this present Visitation, 1625. are here set downe weekely, for better satisfaction to the Reader.

• From the 23. of Iune▪ to the 30. of the same, totall, 942. Whereof of the Plague, 390.
• From the 30. of Iune▪ to the 7. of July, totall, 1222. Whereof of the Plague, 593.
• From the 7. of Iuly, to the 14. of the same, totall, 1741. Whereof the Plague, 1004.
• From the 14. of July, to the 21. of the same, totall, 2850. Whereof of the Plague, 1819.
• From the 21. of Iuly, to the 28. of the same, totall, 3583. Whereof of the Plague, 2471.
• From the 28. of July, to the 4. of August, totall, 4517. Whereof of the Plague, 3659.
• There haue dyed from the 2. of Iune, to the 4. of August, 17359. Whereof of the Plague 6771.

• Buried in Stepney, from the 18. of Iuly, to the 24. totall, 184. Whereof of the Plague, 144.
• From the 24. of Iuly, to the 31. of the same, totall, 259. Whereof of the Plague, 241.

God saue the King.