( 840 ) 
fiftances, and trace out the Sj^mptoms of the Difeafe, 
as they naturally ar ife, from the firft Infedion to the 
laft deftrudive Period, and (hew that, by learching in- 
to our own Antiquities, we may be furnilhed with In- 
ftances of the Frequency of the Diftemper among us, 
in all its refpedive Stages, before ever our Modern Au- 
thors dream it had its Appearance in Europe. 
I (hall begin with the firft Degree of this Difeafe, 
and prove from authentick Evidences, it was anciently 
call’d the 05?Cnmng or 'Burning *, and that this 
Word has been fucceffively continu’d for many Hun- 
dreds of Years, to fignify the fame Difeafe we now 
call a Qla^ 5 and that it was not difeontinu’d till that 
Appellation firft began to have its Rife. The moft like- 
ly Method to accomplilh my Defign, will be firft to 
examine thofe Records that relate to the Stevos^ which 
were by Authority allowed to be kept on the BAnk^Sid' 
in Southwark, under the furifdicftion of the Bp. of Win- 
chejler, and which were fupprefied the of //r» VIH. 
For it’s impoffible but, if there were any fuch Diftem- 
per in being at that Time, it muft be pretty common 
among thofe lewd Women who had a Licence for en- 
tertaining their Paramours, notwithftanding any Rules 
or Orders which might be eftablifii’d to prevent its In- 
creafe : But if we (liall find that there were Orders e- 
ftablidi’d to prevent the Spreading of fuch a Difeafe, 
that Perfons might be fecure from any contagious Ma- 
lady after their Entertainment at thofe Houfes f which 
were anciently Eighteen in Number, but in the F^eign 
of VII. reduced to Tw’elve^ we may then fecurely 
depend upon it, that it was the Frequency of the Dif- 
eafe that put thofe that had the Authority, under a 
necefiity of making fuch Rules and Orders. For the 
fame Powers that granted a Liberty for keeping open 
fuch: lewd Houfes,^ muft find it their Incereft to fecure, 
aS: 
