VVHEREAS there is a dayly encrease of the Plague in the City of London, the Suburbs, and Parts Adjacent; by reason whereof very many Persons have of late, and dayly doe withdraw themselves from their respective Habitations; And either in expectation of Gain, of upon considerations of freindship or Alliance are received in severall Parts of this County, whereby the Infection has been disperst into many Townes & Villages thereof to their ruine and impoverishing: as also the great and apparent danger of the University and City of Oxford, and the Inhabitants of this County in generall, which are yet not infected: And whereas in probability his Majestie intends to reside and keep his Court in the City of Oxford for some part of this winter; As also to hold his Parliament there: We the Vicechancellour of the said University, and Justices of the Peace of the said County; taking the premises into our serious consi­deration, and having in Our view the dreadfull effects of negligence in the present dangerous disease; as we are by the laws of God, of Nature, and this Realm thereto sufficiently authoriz'd; and also instructed and impowred by the trust reposed in us by his Sacred Majestie our Soveraign Lord the King, who desires nothing more than the health and safety of His People; and in pursuance of those great Ends of Publique good, which are ever to be preferr'd before any private interest: have thought fit to Order and Publish; and doe hereby order and publish, as follows.

• I. That no Inn-keeper, Alehouse-keeper Victualer or private Person whatsoever living in this County shal harbour, lodge or entertain in any of their Houses, any Person or Persons that come from London, or any other Place whatsoever, unlesse such Person or Persons shall bring with him, or them an authentick Certificate (to be allowed by he cheif Magistrate of towns corporate, or the Minister and Constables of Villages respectively) that they came not from any infected place or house; and in case of such Certificate, shall receive them for a night only, and not otherwise: upon pain that every Inn-keeper, Ale-house keeper, or Victualler, doeing contrary to the premises, be suppressed from farther entertaining, or victualing: and their houses to be shut up with the Inhabitants therein, and also with the Persons they so entertaine, untill they shall be opened again by publick authority; and likewise upon pain to be taken and dealt with, as enemies to the publique safety.
• II. That no other person or persons, living within this County, shall entertain any of their Friends, Kindred, Children, or other person or persons, without such Certificate as aforsaid, to be al­lowed as aforesaid, under pain that their Houses be shut up; and the person or persons they shall entertain with them, and their Families therein, not to be opened again, but by consent and allowance of the two next Justices of the Peace to the said House: And further, to be proceeded against as disturbers of the Peace and Safety of this County.
• III. That in case any person or persons that is are so to be shut up as aforesaid, shall refuse obstinately to submit, or shall resist the Officers in doing their office to that purpose, such person or per­sons shall be, by the Officers, compelled to keep in the said House by force; and in case of recovery or escape from Infection, shall be carried o the Goal, there to remain without Bail or Mainprize, until they be released by publick Order.
• IV. That no person or persons whatsoever, shall presume to come to Church, or to any Fair or Market, or publick Meeting whatsoever, forth of any House that is shut up, or known to be Infected with the Plague, till they have allowance under the Hands and Seals of two the next Justices of he Peace. And that no person or persons bring any Wares, Goods or Merchandizes, to any Fair or Market, forth of any such Town Corporate, or Place whatsoever, unless such Person bring a Certificate from the Major or Chief Officer of such Town Corporate, or the Minister and Constable of such Place or Village, that the same Wares, Goods or Merchandize, came not from any Infected House, or from any Infected Person, under the pain of being proceeded against as an Enemy to the Publick Safety.
• V. That none be permitted, during the time of Gods Visitation upon this Nation, to keep any Wakes or Customary Feasts, or publick Meetings for any Games or Pastimes whatsoever, eiher up­on Sundays, Holy-days or Fast-days, or any Week-days: And in case any Person shall presume to meet at any such Wakes, Feasts or Pastimes, that they be proceeded against as Rioters and Disturbers of the Peace and Safety of this County.
• VI. That no Pedlers, petty Chapmen, Tinkers, Hat-dressers, Fidlers, Beggars, or other Vagabonds, be permitted or suffered to pass or wander up and down this County from place to place; nor none to beg out of their own Parishes, upon the Penalties that are by the Statutes of the Realm to be inflicted upon the Constables, and other Officers, that neglect their duty therein.
• VII. That no person or persons presume to go to visit or converse with any person or persons Infected, or Shut up upon suspicion of Infection, or breach of these Orders, unless such as shall be ap­pointed to attend such persons as are shut up; upon pain to be shut up themselves, in the Houses of such persons as they converse withall.
• VIII. That strict watch and ward be kept in every Towne, Parish, Village and Hamlet within this County, especially upon Roades, and in Townes and Villages, where Innes, Alehouses and Vi­ctualling houses are, to see these order put in execution, and where occasion shall be or need requires, that double watch and ward be kept, and the Guardes inforced; which shall be done at the publique Charge of the place where such watch is kept: and all this upon the utmost paines that the Law can Inflict for non performance thereof.
• IX. That no Person or Person be permited to come or repaire to the University or City of Oxford by land or water from London, Henly upon Thames, Wallingford, or any other Towne or place infected, nor to bring any Wares or Goods therehence during the time of their being visited upon the paines aforesaid.
• X. That where any place Towne or Village is Infected, and there needs Warders, Searchers, Buriers, and Keepers to be appointed, the Cheif Magistrate or the next Justice of the Peace to the place Infected, is desired to appoint such as he shall think fit out of such Persons as shall be nominated by the Constables of the Parish or Towne Infected, or others: and to give them their Oathes for true and diligent service in their severall places they shall be appointed to, and for the preservation of the publique good.
• XI. Whereas several persons, having left their places of abode, have secretly intruded and crept into divers Towns Corporate and Villages, other places of this County, and there reside and attempt to settle themselves: All Constables, and Overseers of the Poor in each Parish, are hereby required to bring within a Week after the date hereof, to the next Justice of the Peace, in Writing, the names of such Persons so intruding; and afterwards at the end of every Moneth, during the time of the present Danger, that they may be proceeded against according to Law.

And to the End these orders may speedily be made known; and that no person may pretend ignorance of them: It is ordered, that the same be forthwith printed, and published the next Market day in the City of Oxford, and in every Market Towne of the said County on their respective next Market days immediately following the date hereof: and that warrants may be issued forth under the hands and seales of the Justices of Peace or some of them, to the High-Constables of the severall hundreds within the County: and Chief Officer of every corporation, requiring them to send printed cop­pies of them to the peti-Constables of each Township and Parish in the said County respectively; to the end they may be put in execution with all speed, care, and diligence.

Given under our hands this 23d. day of August in the 17th year of the reign of our Soveraigne Lord King Charles the second: Anno (que) Domini 1665.