ORDERS FORMERLY Conceived and Agreed to be published by the Lord Major and the Aldermen of the City OF LONDON: AND The Justices of Peace of the Counties OF MIDDLESEX and SURREY, CONCERNING The Infection of the Plague.  
And now reprinted and published by Order of the Honourable House OF COMMONS.  
Printed by Richard Cotes, Printer to the Honourable City of LONDON, 1646.   

Die Jovis, 20. Augusti, 1646.  
ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament, That the Lord Major of the City of London, and Court of Aldermen, of the Committee of the Militia, and the Justices of the Peace for the City of Westminster, and for the Counties of Middlesex, Essex, and Surrey, do take care, that all such Houses and Persons, in and about the said Cities of London and Westminster, Lines of Communication, and Weekly Bills of Mortality, that are or shall be infected with the Pestilence, be shut up, and the usual Marks set upon their Doors, to the end they may be known; And that such further care may be taken to prevent the spreading of the Infection, and for provision of sick Persons as formerly hath been accustomed. And that no Person or Persons, that shall die of the Infection, be buried in the day time, but after the hour of ten of the clock in the night. And for the better carrying on of this Service, It is further Ordered, that the late Orders and directions concerning the Plague, be forthwith printed and published, and put in due execution, and Mr. Alderman Pennington, and Mr. Alderman Atkin are to acquaint the Lord Major with this Order.  
H. Elsing Cler. Parl. Dom. Com.   

ORDERS FORMERLY Conceived and agreed to be published by the Lord Major, and the Aldermen of the City of London, and the Justices of Peace of the Counties of Middlesex and Surrey: And now reprinted and published by Order of the Honourable House of COMMONS.  
WHereas in the first Year of the Reign of our late Sovereign King James of happy memory, over this Realm of England, an Act was made for the charitable relief and ordering of Persons infected with the Plague: whereby authority is given to Justices of Peace, Majors, Bailiffs, and other head-Officers to appoint within their several Limits Examiner's, Searchers, Watchmen, Keepers, and Buriers for the Persons and Places infected, and to minister unto them Oaths for the performance of their Offices. And the same Statute also authoriseth the giving of other Directions, as unto them for the present necessity shall seem good in their discretions. It is therefore upon special consideration thought very expedient for the preventing and avoiding of the Infection of Sickness (if it shall please Almighty God) which is now dangerously dispersed into many places within the City and Suburbs of the same: that these Officers following be appointed, and these Orders hereafter prescribed be duly observed.  

Examiner's to be appointed in every Parish.  
FIrst, It is thought requisite and so ordered, that in every Parish there be one, two, or more persons of good sort and credit, chosen and appointed by the Alderman, his Deputy, and Common-council of every Ward, and by the Justices of Peace in the Counties, by the name of Examiner's, to continue in that Office the space of two months at least: and if any fit person so appointed as aforesaid, shall refuse to undertake the same, the said parties so refusing, to be committed to prison until they shall conform themselves accordingly.   

The Examiner's Office.  
THat these Examiner's be sworn by the Alderman, or by one of the Justices of the County, to inquire and learn from time to time what houses in every Parish be visited, and what persons be sick, and of what Diseases, as near as they can inform themselves, and upon doubt in that case, to command restraint of access, until it appear what the Disease shall prove: and if they find any person sick of the Infection, to give order to the Constable that the house be shut up: and if the Constable shall be found remiss or negligent, to give present notice thereof to the Alderman, or the justice of Peace respectively.   

Watchmen.  
THat to every Infected house there be appointed two watchmen, one for the day and the other for the night: And that these Watchmen have a special care that no person go in or out of such infected houses, whereof they have the charge, upon pain of severe punishment. And the said Watchmen to do such further Offices as the sick house shall need and require: and if the Watchman be sent upon any business, to lock up the house and take the key with him: and the Watchman by day to attend until ten of the clock at night: and the Watchman by night until six in the morning.   

Surgeons.  
THat there be a special care, to appoint women Searchers in every Parish, such as are of honest reputation, and of the best sort as can be got in this kind: And these to be sworn to make due search and true report, to the utmost of their knowledge, whether the Persons, whose bodies they are appointed to Search, do die of the Infection, or of what other diseases, as near as they can. And for their better assistance herein, forasmuch as there hath been heretofore great abuse in misreporting the disease, to the further spreading of the Infection: It is therefore ordered, that there be chosen and appointed three able and discreet Surgeons, besides those three, that do already belong to the Pesthouse: amongst whom, the City and Liberties to be quartered as the places lie most apt and convenient: and every of these six to have one quarter for his Limit: and the said Surgeons in every of their Limits to join with the Searchers for the view of the body, to the end there may be a true report made of the disease.  
And further, that the said Surgeons shall visit and search such like persons as shall either send for them, or be named and directed unto them, by the examiners of every Parish, and inform themselves of the disease of the said parties.  
And for as much as the said Surgeons are to sequestered from all other Cures, and kept only to this disease of the Infection: It is ordered, that every of the said Surgeons shall have twelve pence a body searched by them, to be paid out of the goods of the party searched, if he be able, or otherwise by the Parish.   

Orders concerning infected Houses, and Persons sick of the Plague.  

Notice to be given of the Sickness.  
THe Master of every House, assoon as any one in his house complaineth, either of Botch, or Purple, or Swelling in any part of his body, or falleth otherwise dangerously sick, without apparent cause of some other disease, shall give knowledge thereof to the Examiner of health within two hours after the said sign shall appear.   

Sequestration of the sick.  
AS soon as any man shall be found by this Examiner, Chirurgeon or Searcher to be sick of the Plague, he shall the same night be sequestered in the same house. And in case he be so sequestered, then though he afterwards die not, the house wherein he sickened shall be shut up for a month, after the use of due Preservatives taken by the rest.   

Airing the Stuff.  
FOr sequestration of the goods and stuff of the infected, their Bedding, and Apparel, and hang of Chambers, must be well ayred with fire, and such perfumes, as are requisite within the Infected house, before they be taken again to use: this to be done by the appointment of the Examiner.   

Shutting up of the House.  
IF any person shall have visited any man, known to be Infected of the Plague, or entered willingly into any known Infected house, being not allowed: the house wherein he inhabiteth, shall be shut up for certain days by the Examiner's direction.   

None to be removed out of infected houses, but etc.  
ITem, that none be removed out of the house where he falleth sick of the infection, into any other house in the City, Borough, or County (except it be to the Pest-house or a Tent, or unto some such house, which the owners of the said Visited house holdeth in his own hands, and occupieth by his own servants) and so as security be given to the Parish whither such remove is made, that the attendance and charge about the said visited persons shall be observed and charged in all the particularities before expressed, without any cost of that Parish, to which any such remove shall happen to be made, and this remove to be done by night: And it shall be lawful to any person that hath two houses, to remove either his sound or his infected people to his spare house at his choice, so as if he send away first his sound, he may not after send thither the sick, nor again unto the sick the ●●und; And that the same which he sendeth, be for one week at the least shut up and secluded from company for fear of some infection, at the first not appearing.   

Burial of the dead.  
THat the burial of the dead by this Visitation be at most convenient hours, always either before Sun rising, or after Sun setting, with the privity of the Churchwardens or Constables, and not otherwise; and that no neighbours nor friends be suffered to accompany the Coarse to Church, or to enter the house visited, upon pain of having his house shut up, or be imprisoned.   

No infected Stuff to be uttered.  
THat no Clothes, Stuffe, bedding or garments be suffered to be carried or conveyed out of any Infected Houses, and that the Criers and Caries abroad of Beddding or old Apparel to be sold or pawned, be utterly prohibited and restrained, and no Brokers of Bedding or old Apparel be permitted to make any outward Show, or hang forth on their Stalls, Shop-boards or Windows toward any Street, Lane, common Way or Passage, any old Bedding or Apparel to be sold, upon pain of Imprisonment: And if any Broker or other person shall buy any Bedding, Apparel, or other Stuff out of any Infected house, within two months after the Infection hath been there, his house shall be shut up as Infected, and so shall continue shut up twenty days at the least.   

No person to be conveyed out of any infected house.  
IF any person visited do fortune, by negligent looking unto, or by any other means, to come, or be conveyed from a place infected, to any other place, the Parish from whence such Party hath come or been conveyed, upon notice thereof given, shall at their charge cause the said party so visited and escaped, to be carried and brought back again by night, and the parties in this case offending, to be punished at the direction of the Alderman of the Ward, and the Justices of the Peace respectively: and the house of the receiver of such visited person to be shut up for twenty days.   

Every visited house to be marked.  
THat every house visited, be marked with a Red Cross of a foot long, in the middle of the door, evident to be seen, and with these usual Printed words, that is to say, Lord have mercy upon us, to be set close over the same Cross, there to continue until lawful opening of the same house.   

Every Visited house to be watched.  
THat the Constables see every house shut up, and to be attended with Watchmen, which may keep them in, and minister necessaries unto them at their own charges (if they be able,) or at the common charge if they be unable: the shutting up to be for the space of four weeks after all be whole.  
That precise order be taken that the Searchers, Surgeons, Keepers and Buriers are not to pass the streets without holding a red Rod or Wand of three foot in length in their hands, open and evident to be seen, and are not to go into any other house then into their own, or into that whereunto they are directed or sent for, but to forbear and abstain from company, especially when they have been lately used in any such business or attendance.  
And to this end it is ordered, that a weekly Tax be made in every Parish visited: If in the City or Borough, then under the hand of the Alderman of the Ward where the place is visited: If in either of the Counties, then under the hands of some of the Justice's next to the place visited, who, if there be cause, may extend the Tax into other Parishes also, and may give warrant of Distress against them which shall refuse to pay; and for want of Distress, or for assistance, to commit the offenders to Prison, according to the Statute in that behalf.    

Orders for cleansing and keeping of the Streets sweet.  

The Streets to be kept clean▪  
FIrst, it is thought very necessary and so ordered, that every Housholder do cause the street to be daily pared before his door, and so to keep it clean swept all the week long.   

That Rakers take it from out the Houses.  
THat the sweeping and filth of houses be daily carried away by the Rakers, and that the Raker shall give notice of his coming by the blowing of a Horn as heretofore hath been done.   

Laystalls to be made far off from the City.  
THat the Laystals be removed as fare as may be out of the City, and common passages, and that no Nightman or other be suffered to empty a Vault into any Garden near about the City.   

Care to be had of unwholesome Fish or Flesh, and of musty Corne.  
THat special care be taken, that no stinking Fish, or unwholesome Flesh, or musty Corn, or other corrupt fruits of what sort soever, be suffered to be sold about the City or any part of the same.  
That the Brewers and Tippling houses be looked unto, for musty and unwholesome Cask.  
That order be taken, that no Hogs, Dogs, or Cats, or tame Pigeons, or Coneys be suffered to be kept within any part of the City, or any Swine to be, or stray in the Streets or Lanes, but that such Swine be impounded by the Beadle or any other Officer, and the Owner punished according to the Act of Common-council, and that the Dogs be killed by the Dog-killers appointed for that purpose.    

Orders concerning lose Persons and idle Assemblies.  

Beggars.  
FOrasmuch as nothing is more complained on, than the multitude of Rogues and wandering Beggars that swarm in every place about the City, being a great cause of the spreading of the Infection, and will not be avoided, notwithstanding any Order that hath been given to the contrary: It is therefore now ordered, that such Constables, and others whom this matter may any way concern, do take special care, that no wandering Beggar be suffered in the Streets of this City, in any fashion or manner whatsoever upon pain of the penalty provided by the Law to be duly and severely executed upon them.   

Plays.  
THat all Plays, Bearebatings, Games, Singing of Ballads, Buckler-play, or such like causes of Assemblies of people, be utterly prohibited, and the parties offending, severely punished, by any Alderman, or Justice of the peace.   

Tippling houses.  
THat disorderly Tippling in Taverns Alehouses and Cellars, be severely looked unto, as the common sin of this time, and greatest occasion of dispersing the Plague: and where any shall be found to offend, the penalty of the Statute to be laid upon them with all severity.  
And for the better execution of these Orders, as also for such other directions as shall be needful, It is agreed that the Justices of the City and Counties adjoining do meet together once in ten days either at the Session's house without Newgate, or some other convenient, place to confer of things as shall be needful in this behalf.  
And every person neglecting the duty required, or willingly offending against any Article or clause contained in these Orders, he to be severely punished by imprisonment, or otherwise, as by the law he ought.    
God save the King.   

Orders formerly thought meet and necessary by His Majesty to be put in execution throughout the Counties of this Realm, in such Towns, Villages and other Places as are or may be hereafter Infected with the Plague, for the stay or further increase of the same, now commanded to be Reprinted by the Honourable the House OF COMMONS.  
INprimis, All the Justices in every County, as well within the Liberties as without, immediately upon knowledge to them given, shall assemble themselves together at some one general place accustomed, being clear from Infection of the Plague to consult how these Orders following may be duly put in execution: not meaning that any Justices dwelling in or near places infected, shall come thither, whiles their coming may be doubtful. And after their first general assembly, they shall make a distribution of themselves to sundry Limits and divisions, as in other common services of the County they are accustomed to do, for the prosecution thereof.  
2 First, they shall inquire, and presently inform themselves by all good means, what Towns and villages are at the time of such assembly infected within every their Counties, & in what Hundred or other Division the said Towns & Villages are, and how many of the same places so infected are Corporate Towns, market towns and Villages, and shall consider of what wealth the inhabitants of the same towns & Parishes are, to be able to relieve the poor that are or shall be infected, & to be restrained in their houses.  
3 Item, thereupon after conference used according to the necessity of the cause, they shall devise and make a general taxation, either by charging the Town infected with one sum in gross, or by charging the special persons of wealth within the same, to be forthwith collected for the rate of one month at the first; and so if the sickness shall continue, the collection of the like sum, or of more or of less, as time and cause shall require, and the same to be every first, second, third or fourth week employed to and for the execution of the said Orders. And in case some of the said Towns Infected, shall manifestly appear not to be of sufficient ability to contribute sufficient for the charges requisite, than the Taxation or Collection shall be made or further extended to other parts, or in any other further limits, as by them shall be thought requisite, where there shall be any such Towns or Villages so infected, and unable to relieve themselves. And if the said Towns be situated in the borders and confines of any other Shire, then as the Justices shall see cause and need for the greatness of the charge requisite, that the parts of the Shire joining to the Towns infected be not able, they shall write their letters to the next justices of the other Shire so confining, to procure by collection some relief, as in like cases they are to relieve them, in respect of near neighbourhood of the place, and for that the same Infection may be the better stayed from the said adjoining places, though they be separated by name of the County.  
4 Item, they shall cause to be appointed in every Parish as well infected as not infected, certain persons to view the bodies of all such as shall die, before they be suffered to be buried, and to certify the Minister of the Church and Churchwarden, or other principal Officers, or their substitutes, of what probable disease the said persons died: and the said viewers, to have weekly some allowance, and the more large allowance where the Towns and Parishes be infected, during the infection, towards their maintenance, to the end they which shall be in places infected, may forbear to resort into the company of others that are sound: and those persons to be sworn to make true report according to their knowledge, and the choice of them to be made by direction of the Curate of the Church, with three or four substantial men of the Parish. And in case the said viewers either through favour or corruption shall give wrong certificate, or shall refuse to serve being thereunto appointed, then to cause them to be punished by imprisonment, in such sort as may serve for a terror to others.  
5 Item, the houses of such persons out of the which there shall die any of the Plague, being so certified by the viewers, or otherwise known, or where it shall be understood, that any person remaineth sick of the Plague, to be closed up in all parts during the time of restraint, viz. six weeks, after the sickness be ceased in the same house, in case the said houses so infected shall be within any Town having houses near adjoining to the same. And if the infection happen in houses dispersed in Villages, and separated from other houses, and that of necessity, for the serving of their cattles, and manuring of their ground, the said persons cannot continue in their houses, than they be nevertheless restrained from resorting into company of others, either publicly, or privately during the said time of restraint, and to wear some mark in their uppermost garments, or bear white rods in their hands at such time as they shall go abroad: if there be any doubt that the masters and owners of the houses infected, will not duly observe the directions of shutting up the doors, specially in the night, then shall there be appointed two or three Watchmen by turns, which shall be sworn to attend and watch the house, and to apprehend any person that shall come out of the house contrary to the order, and the same persons by order of the justices, shall be a competent time imprisoned in the stocks, in the high way next to the house infected: and furthermore, some special mark shall be made and fixed to the doors of every of the infected houses, and where any such houses shall be Inns or Alehouses, the signs shall be taken down for the time of the restraint, and some cross or other mark set upon the place thereof to be a token of the sickness.  
6 Item, they shall have good regard to choose honest persons, that either shall collect the sums assessed, or shall have the custody thereof, and out of the said collection to allot a weekly proportion for the finding of victual, or fire, or medicines for the poorer sort, during the time of their restraint. And whereas some persons being well disposed to yield alms and relief, will be more willing to give some portions of victual, as corn, bread, or other meat, the same shall be committed to the charge of some special persons that will honestly and truly preserve the same, to be distributed as they shall be appointed for the poor that are infected.  
7 Item, to appoint certain persons dwelling within the Towns infected, to provide and deliver all necessaries of victuals, or any matter of watching or other attendance, to keep such as are of good wealth being restrained, at their own proper costs and charges, and the poor at the common charges: and the said persons so appointed to be ordered, not to resort to any public assembly during the time of such their attendance, as also to wear some mark on their upper garment, or to bear a white rod in their hand, to the end others may avoid their company.  
8 Item, that in the shire Town in every County, and in other great Towns meet for that purpose, there may be provision bespoken and made, of such Preservatives and other remedies, which otherwise in meaner towns cannot be readily had, as by the Physicians shall be prescribed, and is at this present reduced into an Advice made by the Physicians, and now printed and sent with the said Orders, which may be fixed in Market-places, upon places usual for such public matters, and in other Towns in the bodies of the parish Churches and chapels: in which Advice only such things are prescribed, as usually are to be had and found in all Countries without great charge or cost.  
9 Item, the Ministers and Curates, and the Churchwardens in every parish, shall in writing certify weekly to some of the Justices residing within the Hundred or other limit where they serve, the number of such persons as are infected and do not die, and also of all such as shall die within their Parishes, and their diseases probable whereof they died, and the same to be certified to the rest of the Justices at their assemblies, which during some convenient time would be every one and twenty days, and thereof a particular book kept by the Clerk of the Peace, or some such like.  
10 Item, to appoint some place a part in each Parish for the burial of such persons as shall die of the Plague, as also to give order that they be buried after as Sunsetting, and yet nevertheless by day light, so as the Curate be present for the observation of the Rites and Ceremonies prescribed by the Law, foreseeing as much as conveniently he may, to be distant from the danger of infection of the person dead, or of the company that shall bring the corpse to the grave.  
11 Item, the Justices of the whole County to assemble once in one and twenty days, to examine whether those Orders be duly executed, and to certify to the Lords of the Privy Council their proceed in that behalf, what Towns and Villages be infected, as also the numbers of the dead, and the diseases whereof they died, and what sums of money are taxed and collected to this purpose, and how the same are distributed.  
12 Item, the Justices of the Hundred, where any such infection is, or the Justice's next adjoining thereunto, to assemble once a week, to take account of the execution of the said Orders, and as they find any lack or disorder, either to reform it themselves, or to report it at the general assembly there, to be by a more common consent reform.  
13 Item, for that the contagion of the Plague groweth and increaseth no way more, then by the use and handling of such , bedding and other stuff as hath been worn and occupied by the Infected of this disease, during the time of their disease: the said Justices shall in the places infected take such order, that all the said clothes and other stuff, so occupied by the diseased, so soon as the parties diseased of the plague are all of them either well recovered or dead, be either burnt and clean consumed with fire, or else aired in such sort as is prescribed in an especial Article contained in the advice set down by the Physicians. And for that peradventure the loss of such apparel, bedding, and other stuff to be burnt, may be greater than the poor estate of the owners of the same may well bear: it is thought good & very expedient, if it be thought meet it shall be burnt, that then the said Justices, out of such Collections as are to be made within their Counties for the relief of the poorer sort that be infected, allow also them such sum or sums as to them shall be thought reasonable, in recompense of the loss of their said stuff.  
14 Item, the said justices may put in execution any other Orders that by them at their general assembly shall be devised and thought meet, tending to the preservation of his Majesty's Subjects from the infection. And to the end their care and diligence may the better appear, they shall certify in writing the said Orders newly devised: and if any shall wilfully break and contemn the same, or any the Orders herein specified, they shall either presently punish them by imprisonment, or if the persons so contemning them, shall be of such countenance as the justices shall think meet to have their faults known to His Majesty or to the Council, they shall charge and bind them to appear before Us, and the contempt duly certified, that there may be a more notorious sharp example made by pnuishment of the same by order of His Majesty.  
15 Item, if there be lack of justices in some parts of the Shire, or if they which are justices there, shall be for the time absent, in that case the more number of the Justices at their assembly shall make choice of some convenient persons to supply those places for the better execution hereof.  
16 Item, if there be any person Ecclesiastical or Lay, that shall hold and publish any opinions (as in some places report is made) that it is a vain thing to forbear to resort to the Infected, or that it is not charitable to forbid the same, pretending that no person shall die but at their time prefixed, such persons shall be not only reprehended, but if they be Ecclesiastical, shall be forbidden to preach, and being Lay, be enjoined to forbear to utter such dangerous opinions upon pain of imprisonment, which shall be executed if they shall persevere in that error. And yet it shall appear manifestly by these Orders, that according to Christian charity, no persons of the meanest degree shall be left without succour and relief.  
17 And of these things above mentioned, the justices shall take great care, as of a matter specially and directed commanded by his Majesty upon the princely and natural care he hath conceived towards the preservation of his Subjects, who by very disorder, and for lack of direction do in many parts wilfully procure the increase of this general Contagion.  
FINIS.