SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC HISTORY 



of the cittie there to remaine till they be cleansed either of the sicknesse or of the suspicon, in 

 perticuler I desire a butcher (in margin Henr. Wilkinson) here in Marigate whose name I will send 

 you who is knowne to have beene in companie with one on Sundaie last that is now shutt upp may 

 be instantlie removed to som such place least he might prove dangerous to his neighbours hereabouts 

 the rather for that being admitted by Alderman Crost (whose remissenes therein I must blame) to 

 depart on his owne words that he would goe presentlie home to his house and not depart thence with- 

 out licence, was neverthelesse abroade all dale till tenn a clock at night and then came home drunke. 



7. Seventhly if anie disorderlie p'sons shall not obey your dyrections hearin and in such other 

 dyrections as you in discrecon shall thinke fitt to be observed for the saftie of the Cittie, that if 

 they be men of substance you doe acquaint me & the Counsell therewith, who you shall see will 

 make their doeings exemplarie, if they be poore & meane people you are to appoynt your officers to 

 see them to be soundly whipped severall days after other if there be cause to the terror of such 

 desperate people. 



8. Eightlie that all the inhabitants be charged as much as may be to keepe in their servants and 

 especially their children who by reason of their tendernesse are apter to take the infection then those 

 wch are of more yeares. 



9. Ninthly that you advise wth the Phisicions & learne from them the best rules their art 

 affords wherby to hinder the increase or danger of the infection and that the p'sons infected be told 

 of such remedies as are good against the malignitie of the disease. 



10. Tenthlie that you everie dale make me and the Counsell, and in my absence such of the 

 counsell as remaine how you precede in the performance of theise orders how they are obeyed or 

 disobeyed & by whome, what p'sons or places die or are infected, to the intent such timelie order 

 may be given therein as is fitt. 



11. Eleaventhlie that you make liberall sessem'ts for provision of those wch are infected, and 

 take care they be watched and tended, both for the saftie of the cittie & recoverie of themselves so 

 farre as may be, but when I name librall sessem'ts I do not meane such allowance be made (as I 

 understand the lewder sort of them would p'tend I meane) not to Luxurie or wantonnesse, but to the 

 necessltie of nature, in a competent manner & to sobrietie. The sessem'ts likewise of your other 

 poore in general! must be inlarged that so they may be kept at home, and severlie and justlie punished 

 if they stirr abroade, wherein I shalbe readie for my owne p't in a time thus conditioned to give you 

 a good example in my owne p'ticular as I tould you my Lo. Maior the other dale. I will only add 

 thus mutch more to the third Article that if anie man disperce his familie or receive anie so flitting 

 w'^out the privitie of my Lo. Maior that you cause both the house of the remover and receiver to be 

 p'sentlie shutt upp and all the people in them, and so kept till the time of danger be runn up, and in 

 particuler in the p'sent case of Mr. Alderman Lawne looke you spechly hold this course to begin with 

 who hath beene bould from the beginning of this infection in believing so little and whose care in 

 shutting up himselfe albeit I comend yet doe I mutch blame him for sending his children into other 

 parts of the towne, and them also who have of their owne heade received them. 



Finally I well hope if theise and such other good orders as you in your owne cares & judgments 

 shall supply be sevearly putt in practice it will be the meanes next under God to restore health unto our 

 dwellings ; so as it behoves me to call upon you strictlie for an account hearin wch I shall most 

 assuredly doe verie precicely, and it behoves you not to be negligent in so greate a dutie, wherein if 

 you faile you shall not only offend highly against God & the publique, but the blood of theise men 

 be required at your hands wch you shall suffer thorow your retchlesnesse to fall under this hevie 

 affliction. 



I will end this long letter w* desire that you will for my owne discharge send me at my retorne 

 a coppie, for I have not time to take one myselfe and finally to tell yo" the greatest pittie you can in 

 the world shew to your selves, the inhabitants of this cittie together with your owne wives & 

 children wilbe by using all seveare and strict courses in the preventinge the first beginnings and 

 apperances of this contagion amongst us, 



And so I rest. 



You' verie loveing frelnd 

 Wentworth.™ 

 Mano' of Yorke 

 this last of 

 August 1 63 1. 



The greatest care was taken to acquaint the people with the most approved remedies. The city 

 records contain several of these prescriptions. 



Theise precepts following are p'scribed by learned and approved phisicons. 



Lett those poore people who are afraid to be infected by being imployed about the sick eate 

 butter and breade with sage sorrell or garlicke pilled in the morninge before their imployents. 



Lett them putt into their drinke ginger stirred and steepe in it the topps of woormewood first 

 washt and burned. 



Lett them chue in their mouthes settwall or angellice for want of it, or gentian. 



Lett them lye upon a stick (posie wise) a little peece of sparge well dipped in white wine 

 viniger camphorated wch they may have at the appothecaries. 



'^ York Munic Rec. xxxv, fol. 1 195-1 19^. 



3 457 58 



