HONE SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  
CR   royal blazon or coat of arms  
Anno primo jacobi Regis.  
An Act for the charitable relief and ordering of persons infected with the Plague.  
FOrasmuch as the Inhabitants of diverse Cities, Boroughs, towns corporate, and of other Parishes and places being visited with the Plague, are found to be unable to relieve the poorer sort of such people so infected, who of necessity must be by some charitable course provided for, lest they should wander abroad, and thereby infect others: And forasmuch as diverse persons infected with that disease, and others inhabiting in places infected, aswell poor people and unable to relieve themselves, that are carefully provided for, as other which of themselves are of ability, being commanded by the Magistrate or Officer, of or within the place where the Infection shall be, to keep their houses, or otherwise to separate themselves from company, for the avoiding of further Infection, do notwithstanding very dangerously and disorderly demean themselves:  
Be it therefore enacted by the authority of this present Parliament, 
Taxing others for the relief of the sick of the Plague.  That the Mayor, Bailiffs, head Officers, and justices of the Peace, of every City, Borough, Town corporate, and places Privileged, where any Mayor, and Bailiffs, head Officers, or justices of Peace are or shall be, or any two of them, shall have power and authority from time to time, to tax and assess all and every Inhabitant, and all Houses of habitation, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments within the said City, Borough, Town corporate, and places Privileged, or the Liberties or Precincts thereof, at such reasonable taxes and payments, as they shall think fit for the reasonable relief of such persons infected, or inhabiting in houses and places infected in the same Cities, Boroughes, and Towns corporate, and places Privileged, and from time to time levy the same taxes, of the Goods of every person refusing or neglecting to pay the said Taxes, by Warrant under the Hand and Seal of the Mayor and Bailiffs, and head Officers aforesaid, or two such justices of Peace, to be directed to any person or persons for the execution thereof. And if the party to whom such Warrant is or shall be directed, shall not find any Goods to levy the same, and the party taxed shall refuse to pay the same Tax, That then upon return thereof the said Mayor, Bailiffs, head Officers or justices of Peace, or any two of them, shall by like Warrant under their hands and Seals, cause the same person so taxed to be arrested and committed to the Gaol, without Bail or Maineprise▪ until he shall satisfy the same taxation, and the arrearages thereof.  
And if the Inhabitants of any such City, 
The Inhabitants unable to relief the Infected.  Borough, Town corporate, or place privileged, shall find themselves unable to relieve their said poor Infected persons, and others as aforesaid, That then upon Certificate thereof by the Mayor, Bailife, head Officers, and other the said justices of Peace or any two of them, to the justices of Peace of the County of or near to the said City, Borough, Town corporate, or privileged place so infected, or any two of them to be made, the said justices of or near the said County or any two of them shall or may tax and assess the Inhabitants of the County within five miles of the said place Infected, at such reasonable and weekly Taxes and Rates as they shall think fit to be levied, by warrant from any such two justices of peace, of or near the County, by the sale of Goods, and in default thereof, by imprisonment of the body of the party taxed, as aforesaid.  
And if any such Infection shall be in any Borough, Town corporate, or privileged place, where there are or shall be no justices of Peace, or in any Village or Hamlet within any County, That then it shall or may be lawful for any two justices of Peace of the said County, wherein the said place infected is or shall be, to Tax and Assess the inhabitants of the said County, within five miles of the said place infected, at such reasonable weekly taxes and rates, as they shall think fit for the reasonable relief of the said places infected, to be levied by warrant from the said justices of Peace of the same County by sale of goods, and in default thereof, by imprisonment of the body of every party so taxed, as aforesaid: The same taxes made by the said justices of peace of the County, for the relief of such Cities, Boroughes, Towns corporate, and places privileged, where there are no justices of peace, to be disposed as they shall think fit. And where there are justices of peace, Then in such sort as to the Mayor, Bailiffs, head Officers, and justices of peace there, or any two of them shall seem fit and convenient. All which taxes and rates made within any such City, Borough, Town corporate, or place privileged, shall be certified at the next quarter Sessions to be holden within the same City, Borough. Town corporate, or place privileged, And the said Taxes and Rates made within any part of the said County, shall in like sort be certified at the next quarter Sessions to be holden in and for the said County, And that if the justices of peace at such quarter Sessions respectively, or the more part of them shall think fit the said tax or rate should continue, or be enlarged, or extended to any other parts of the County, or otherwise determined, than the same to be so enlarged, extended or determined, increased, or taxed and levied, in manner and form aforesaid, as to the said justices at the Quarter Sessions respectively shall be thought fit & convenient, And every Constable, & other officer that shall wilfully make default in levying such money, as they shall be commanded by the said warrant or warrants, shall forfeit for every such offence ten shillings, to be employed on the charitable uses aforesaid.  
And be it further enacted, 
An infected person commanded to keep his house, disobeyeth.  That if any person or persons infected, or being or dwelling in any house Infected, shall be by the Mayor, Bailiffs, Constable, or other head Officer of any City, Borough, Town corporate, privileged place, or Market Town, or by any justice of Peace, Constable, Headborough, or other Officer of the County, (if any such Infection be out of any City, Borough, Town corporate, privileged place, or market Town) commanded or appointed, as aforesaid, to keep his or their House, for avoiding of further Infection, & shall not withstanding wilfully & contemptuously disobey such direction & appointment, offering & attempting to break & go abroad, & to resist, or going abroad, & resisting such Keepers or Watchmen as shall be appointed, as aforesaid, to see them kept in, That then it shall be lawful for such Watchmen, with violence to enforce them to keep their houses. And if any hurt come by such enforcement to such Disobedient persons, That then the said Keepers, Watchmen, and any other their Assistants, 
Infected persons, how Felons.  shall not be impeached therefore. And if any infected person as aforesaid, so commanded to keep house, shall contrary to such Commandment, wilfully and contemptuously go abroad, & shall converse in company, having any Infectious Sore upon him uncured, That then such person & persons shallbe taken, deemed, & adjudged as a Felon, & to suffer pains of Death, as in case of Felony. But if such person shall not have any such Sore found about him, Then for his said offence, to be punished as a Vagabond in all respects should, or aught to be, by the Statute made in the nine and thirtieth year of the Reign of our late Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth, for the punishment of rogues and vagabonds, And further to be bound to his or their good behaviour for one whole year.  
Provided, That no attainder of Felony by virtue of this Act, shall extend to any attainder or corruption of blood, or forfeiture of any Goods, Chattels, Lands, Tenements, or Hereditaments.  
And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall be lawful for justices of Peace, Mayor, 
Attendants appointed upon the infected  Bailiffs, & other head Officers aforesaid, to appoint within the several Limits, Searchers, Watchmen, Examiner's, Keepers, & Buriers for the persons & places respectively, infected as aforesaid, & to minister unto them Oaths for the performance of their Offices of Searchers, Examiner's Watchmen, Keepers & Buryers, & give them other directions, as unto them for the present necessity shall seem good in their discretions. And this Act to continue no longer then until the end of the first Session of the next Parliament.  
Provided always, and be it enacted by Authority of this present Parliament, That no Mayor, Bailiffs, head Officers, or any justices of Peace, shall by force or pretext of any thing in this Act contained, do or execute any thing before mentioned, 
The Universities, Cathedral Churches, Eton, Winchester.  within either the Universities of Cambridge or Oxford, or within any Cathedral Church, or the Liberties or Precincts thereof, in this Realm of England, or within the Colleges of Eton or Winchester, But that the Vicechancellor of either of the Universities for the time being, within either of the same respectively, & the Bishop & Deane of every such Cathedral Church, or one of them, within such Cathedral Church, & the Provost or Warden of either of the said Colleges within the same, shall have all such power & authority, & shall do & execute all & every such Act & Acts, thing & things in this Act before mentioned, within their several Precincts & jurisdictions abovesaid, as wholly, absolutely, & fully to all intents & purposes, as any Mayor, Bailiffs, head Offices, or justices of Peace within their several Precincts and jurisdictions, may elsewhere by force of this Act do and execute.  
God save the King.   

Printed by Robert Young, Printer to the honourable City of London, 1630.