27 
*^^Eiien now they bring me worcle of the plague broken forth 
in another little tonne tow miles of.” 
More than three weeks had passed since the two absent 
aldermen. Belt and Besson, were required to return to their 
posts. The former had obeyed the Lord Mayor’s summons, but 
alderman Besson was contumacious, and on the 23rd September, 
the Lord Mayor wrote to him :—Brother Besson, we do daily 
find more and more the want of your being here with us for the 
government of your ward, for now Huntington being visited, 
we have cause to be more vigilant and careful over the watches 
at those out ends of the suburbs.” If he continued to absent 
himself, he was to be fined £20, and 5s. for each day’s absence. 
A week afterwards alderman Belt implored his brethren to 
allow him to be only three days of the week in the city, but they 
would not consent. They required him to be continually resident. 
In the midst of all these terrors and miseries, and with death 
constantly before their eyes, some persons were so unfeeling and 
reckless as to indulge in open revelry and dissipation. One 
Coke, who in this doleful and dangerous time” was seen 
dancing and fiddling without Walmgate Bar, where the disease 
was rifest, was ordered to be openly whipped. 
Seven men were in a house in the night time dancing, drink- 
ins, and revellins^, ^Mn these heavisome times of the infection.” 
They were fined 5s. a piece, and ordered to find sureties for 
their good behaviour. The Lord Mayor had given warning to 
the newly elected sheriffs not to hold the customary feasts on 
Michaelmas day, in regard of these perilous times of the 
infection. One of them, nevertheless, did entertain many 
strangers at dinner that day at his house, and a fine of £5 was 
imposed upon him. 
The city bellman was ordered to give public notice to the 
keepers of taverns and alehouses not to receive any of the 
inhabitants to tipple or drink, upon pain that both drinkers 
and receivers should be shut up. Some mischievous lovers of 
the bottle induced the bellman to disobey the orders given to 
him, and for this offence he was condemned to have his bell 
taken from him, and to be committed to ward till he confessed 
who willed him to stay his cry for restraining all vintners and 
alehouse keepers to receive any to drink in their houses. 
