25 
Government. On the 22nd of September, he wrote the following 
letter to the Secretary of State, Lord Dorchester. 
very good Lord, 
. It is full time in my iudgment to give your LoP a 
shortt accompt of our presentt condition in thes parttes, w®^ as 
it shall seeme good in your better wisedum, may he made 
knowen to his Maty, or my Lords of the Counsell, in case you 
would directte vs any thing more to be dun then is allready. 
True itt is, (that leaving our neighoures of Lancishire and 
Lincolnshire miserably distressed wtli the pestilence), that now 
wthin thes sixe week, the infection is cumd to ourselues in 
diuers partts of this County, and last of all into this Citty. Vpon 
the edge of Lancishire, ther is the toune of Heptonstall, wch 
hath neare forty bowses infected; Mirfeild, a little toune not 
farre of itt, hath lost ninescore persons, and both thes tonnes 
wthin four miles of Hallifax, w^h yet God be praysed, stands 
sounde, but much indangered, by reason of the great number of 
people, and lardge trade of clothing theraboutes. It is likuise 
in the tow tounes of Beeston and Holbecke, w^h are wthin one 
mile of Leedes, and if it should please God to visit either of thos 
greate tounes, Hallifax or Leedes, w^h tow allone trade more 
then all the cuntry besides, in good faithe it would mightily 
distresse and impouerishe all that side of the cuntrye. 
Againe on this side, ther is the toune of Rednes and Armin, 
both seated vpon this riiier, furiously infected, at the least four¬ 
score bowses infected, and a hundreth persons deade w’thin thes 
fine weekes, besides sum four or hue little villages besides, this 
being brought to vs forth of Lincolnshire, as on the other partte 
it was forth of Lancishire, and of the tow is obserued to be much 
more taking and deadly. 
Finally, it was brought heather by a lewde woman who brake 
forth of Armin, wtt the sore running vpon her, lodged in an 
outside of the toune, and ther vngratiously left itt behinde her; 
sine ther are deade in that street sum fourscore persons, and 
hath not as yet, God be praysed, gott wthin the walls, sauing 
in tow bowses, forth of w^‘^ all the dwellers are remoued to the 
Pest-howses, but is broken forth wthout the walls at tow other 
ends of the toune, and into Huntington and Acum, tow little 
villadges wthin tow miles of vs. 
r 
