24- The 3^mral Hijlory 
much the lefs it feel the rage of the Plague, I think the edge of 
the charge is fufficiently rebated. 'Tis reported amongft the ^ ob- 
fervations of an ingenious Perfon that refided long in the Ifland 
Ja^an^ That though the Air be very falubrious there, yet the 
Small Pox and Fluxes are very frequent, but the Plague not fo 
much as ever heard of; which has often made mc refleft on the 
year 1665, when the Pejiilence wasfpreadina maner all over 
the Kingdom, that even then, though the Court, both Houfes 
of Parliament, and the Term were kept at Oxford^ the Plague 
notwithftanding was not there at all. 
10. Others again, tell us of the Black. Af^ife held in the 
Caftle here, an, i^jj* when a foyfonon^ fleam broke forth of 
the Earth, and fo mortally feifed the fpiritsofthe J udges.^ Sheriffs^ 
Ju^ices, Gentry and Juries^ befide great numbers of others that 
attended the bufinefs, that they ficknedupon it and almoft ail of 
them dyed : but let it not be afcribcd to i\\ fumes and exhalations 
afcending from the Earth and poyfoning the Air, for fuch would 
have equally affected the Frifoners as Judges^ but we find not that 
they dyed otherwife then by the halter, which eafily perfwades 
me to be of the mind of my ^ Lord Verulam^ who attributes ic 
wholly to the fmell of the Qoal^ where the Prifoncrs had been 
long, clofe, and naftily kept. 
1 1. 'Tis true, that Oxford was much more unhealthy hereto- 
fore then now it is, by reafon the City was then much lefs, and 
the Scholars many more, who when crowded up in fo narrow a 
fpace, and the then flovenly Towns-m6n not keeping the ftreet 
clean, but killing all maner of Cattle within the walls, did ren- 
der the place much more unhealthy. Hence 'tis, that we find 
fo many refcripts of our Kings prohibiting maEiationem groffarum 
befliarum infra muros^ isr quod vici mundentur a fimis (y fimariis^ 
bearingdate 13 3. 2^ I. i2Edw.^» 3 7 6.^ and 
all alledging the reafon, quiafer ha5 ma^ationes^ ifrc, aer ibidem in-' 
ficitur^ becaufeby the killing fuch maner of Cattle, and laying 
the dung in the ftreets, the Air was infefted. Moreover, about 
chefe times the //^^ and Cherxcell^ through the carelefnefs of the 
Towns-men, being filled with mud, and the Common-flioars 
by this means ftopt, did caufe the afcent of malignant vapors 
whenever there happened to be a Flood ; for befide its ftirring 
■ • Fhilefo^h. Tranfa£i. num. 49. f Uat. Hijl. Cent. 10. mm. 5014. 8 MSS. in Arch. Bib- Bod. foh 90/ 9 1 . 
the 
