A HISTORY OF YORKSHIRE 



Armin ' and ' ungratiously left it behind her.' It is possible that Wentworth overrated the faith 

 that the people had in his presence, for he concludes : — 



The towne takes much comfortte in our stay heare, and would fall into affrights and confusion if 

 wee should leave them, soe as wee as yet hold on our ordinary sitting and we dispence of his Ma"** 

 accustomed justice to his people, and in good faith, I should for my partte be very loathe to leave them 

 in this distressed case, seeing they conceave they are much the better for my stay among them and 

 that in truth I think they are now much more orderly than they would be under the government 

 of the Mayor alone.** 



It cannot be said that the measures adopted for keeping the people in order erred on the side 

 of leniency ; a man ' for dancing and fidling without Walmgate barr, in this doleful and dangerous 

 tyme there shalbe openly whipped.' ^' Four women and a man who dug up infected clothes were 

 set in the stocks and whipped ; ^^ a blacksmith's wife, who said, ' If the sicknesse would come in 

 fast enough she would runn amongst the thickest of them,' " was whipped openly. Seven men were 

 fined for drinking and revelling in these 'heavisome times."* A spurrier, who replied to the con- 

 stable asking questions as to the health of his household, 'all were in health but his catt was sick,' 

 expiated his jest by imprisonment and a fine of ioj.'' 



The letter sent by Wentworth at the first outbreak of the plague is an admirable example of 

 the high standard of duty he exacted from others and imposed upon himself. His extraordinary 

 knowledge of the smallest details that concerned the welfare of the city under his charge is 

 characteristic of his boundless industry, and shows clearly the secret of the great influence he 

 exercised in his native county. The arrogance with which he treats the civic dignitaries is at 

 strange variance with his tender care for the little children. The result of his vigilance was that 

 there were few deaths within the city walls, though in the parish of St. Lawrence, where the 

 plague first began, eighty people died in three weeks. 



Ultimo die August! 163 i. 



And now this day a letter from the Right honourable the Lord President to my Lord Maior and 

 Aldermen was redd as foUoweth : After my verie heartie comendacons I am sorie to heare that the 

 sicknesse hath sett footc within the walles of this cittie, and conceiving the danger to be verie greate, 

 if God of his goodnesse divert not this plague from us, and that it male be the easilier prevented in the 

 beginning than hereafter, when it may be our ill happ to have it further sprcdd amongst us, I thought 

 it good to wryte this much unto yon being myselfe this morning to go out of towne on the King's 

 direction & about his Ma''" businesse You have under his Ma"* the chardge & gouvernance of this 

 people u'*' is to be required at your hands both before God and man more especially by myselfe and 

 this Counsel! as p'sons trusted in theise and accountable as well as yourselves & therefor in dis- 

 charge of my owne, not dutie onelie to my M' but ray affection also to this towne I do repeat that 

 you punctually observe theise orders foUowinge withall I must tell you plainelie I will informe myselfe 

 very dilegentlie how they are observed and executed, and shall proceed sevearly to punish your 

 negligence and others disobedience of them, and that shall Wilson the Chirargion in particular smart 

 for when it may be he little dreames of it. These are not things to be . . . w^ll. 



1. It is fitt that you charge everie maister of a familie that he soone as anie of his house fall sick 

 of what disease soever, that he instantlie acquaint you the Lord Maior keeping himselfe and house 

 private, and not admitting the visit of anie neighbour, till you have informed yourself of the circum- 

 stances, and give directions how he shalbe more restrained or lesse restrained of his libertie. 



2. Secondlic that you shall strictly inquire out all persons that have beene amongst the infected 

 and without sparing of anie to cause them to be shutt upp and there to continue till farther orders. 



3. Thirdlie that none be suffered to disperse their families into anie other parts of the cittie or 

 contry nor anie presume to take anie such p'sons removed into their houses without license of the 

 Lord Maior and then not to be by his Ld'"'' granted but with greate circumspection & reason. 



4. Fourthly that all Faires, Feasts and publique meetings be prohibited in p'ticular one faire 

 usually kept at this time of the yeare Wamgate untill farther allowance of myselfe and this Counsell 

 when the state of the health of the Cittie shalbe better understood unto us then now it can be upon 

 the first breaking of this contagion forth amongst us in this article I doe not include meetings at 

 divine service nor yet the daylie markets kept for the p'vision of the Cittie. 



5. Fifthly there would be some honest old people appoynted to be searchers who are to be 

 distinguished by rodds they care to have in their hands and to be well allowed for as they keepe 

 within doores, and not stirr abroade except at times of their search to be made. 



6. Sixtlie that som tents be sett upp or houses in som outskirts of this cittie be forthwith thought 

 of and appoynted whither the meaner sort which may be suspected ought p'sentlie to be removed out 



" S.P. Dom. Chas. I (22 Sept. 163 1, cc, 14). 

 " YorkMunic. Rec. xxxv, fol. I26<z, 26 Sept. 1631. 

 " Ibid. fol. 1 4617, 12 Dec. 1631. 

 " Ibid. fol. 127^, 30 Sept. 1632. 



456 



" Ibid. fol. 121a, 9 Sept. 1631. 

 " Ibid. fol. 1503, II Jan. 163 1. 



