/ 
,|sO LON 
In the year 16S5, about the beginning of May, there 
broke out, in London, the moft dreadful plague that ever 
infefted this kingdom, which fwept away 68,596 perfons, 
which, added to the number of thofe who died of other 
diftempers, raifed the bill of mortality, in this year, to 
97,306. And the mortality raged fo violently in July, 
that the houfes were (hut up, the ftreets delerted, and 
fcarcely any thing to be feen therein but grafs growing, 
innumerable fires for purifying the air, coffins, pelt-carts, 
red erodes upon doors, with the infcription, “ Lord have 
mercy upon us 1 ” and continual cries of “Pray for us;” 
Or the melancholy call of “ Bring out your dead.” The 
taufe of this dreadful calamity was afcribed to the impor¬ 
tation of infefted goods from Holland, where the plague 
had committed great ravages the preceding year. And 
it was obferved, during the whole time of its continuance, 
that there was fuch a general calm for many weeks toge¬ 
ther,. that not the lead wind could be perceived ; the tires 
in the ftreets were kept burning with difficulty for want 
Of a fupply of air, and the very birds panted for breath. 
It is probable that the numbers who died of this dread¬ 
ful peltilence were greatly under-rated in the bills of mor¬ 
tality for that year; one pariffi, that of St. John the Evan¬ 
gel i It, Watling-ftreet, appears from them to have been 
wholly exempt from it, which is not to be credited when 
its fituation is confidered. 
Affliction is well adapted to draw forth and difplay ex¬ 
traordinary inftances of virtue. In this period of diftrefs, 
fir John Laurence, the lord-mayor, with equal humanity 
and intrepidity, faced every danger, in order to give affift- 
ance to thofe who ltood in need of it. Too many, influ- 
•nced by fear, atted in an oppofite manner. Forty thou¬ 
sand fervants were turned into the ftreets to perifh, whom 
®o one would receive; nay,the villagers drove them away 
with pitch-forks and fire-arms. Sir John, like the good 
Samaritan, took thofe wretched fugitives under his pro¬ 
tection, relieved them with his own fortune till it was ex- 
kaufted, and then folicited fubfcriptions for their lupport. 
The conduCt of George Monk, duke of Albemarle, and 
William earl Craven, deferves alfo to be recorded. They 
affitted the civil magiftrate in alleviating the evil, and ter- 
aninating its progrefs. They, who had been accullomed 
So the terrors of war, behaved with the greateft heroifm 
in the more trying l'cenes of death-beds, which neither 
courage nor wisdom could avert. The piety of the Chrif- 
tian, and the magnanimity of the hero, were alfo difplayed 
by archbifflop Sheldon. He continued in his palace at 
Lambeth whilft she contagion lafted, preferving, by his 
charities, multitudes who were finking under difeafe and 
want; and, by his paftoral exertions, procured benevo¬ 
lences to a vail amount. Such benefaClors are an honour 
not only to tlieir own nation, but to human nature, and 
are the models we (liould endeavour to imitate. 
In the midft of this dreadful calamity, the magiftrates 
of London did not flacken from their ufual activity in 
providing for the comforts of their fellow-citizens. Re¬ 
gulations were made about carmen and the prices of car¬ 
riage; and others for the better management of the (ale of 
coals, and the i'ecuring a regular fupply of that important 
article. The laft may be intereiting, particularly at a 
time when i'o much impolition has been praftifed in that 
department of trade. 
That the poor might be conftantly fupplied w'ith coals 
in times of fcarcity, and to defeat the combination of 
dealers therein, the Several city-companies undermentioned 
were ordered to purchafe and lay up yearly, between Lady- 
day and Michaelmas, the following quantities of coals; 
which were to be vended in fuch manner, and at fuch 
prices, as the lord-mayor and court of aldermen (hould, 
by written precept, direct; fo that the coals (hould not be 
fold to lofs. 
Chald. Chald. 
Mercers - - 488 Fifflmongers - - 465 
G rocers - - 675 Goldfmiths - - 515 
Drapers - - - 56a Skinners - - 315 
DON. 
Merchant-taylor* 
CBald.- 
- 750 
Innholders 
€hald. 
- 
Haberdafliers 
573 
Founders 
7 
Salters 
- 360 
Poulterers - 
. 
12 
Ironmongers - 
- 455 
Cooks 
- 
3 ° 
Vintners 
375 
Coopers 
- 
5 * 
Cloth w orkers 
- 412 
Tylers and Bricklayers 
19 
Dyers 
- 105 
Bowyers 
- 
3 
Brewers 
- 104 
Fletchers - 
. 
3 
Leatherfellers - 
- 210 
Blackfmiths 
• 
15 
Pewterers 
5 * 
Apothecaries 
- 
45 * 
Cutlers 
- 75 
Joiners 
- 
22- 
White-bakers 
45 
Weavers - 
- 
27- 
Wax-chandlers 
19 
Woolmen 
_ 
3 
Tallow-chandlers 
- 97 
Woolmongers 
-- 
60 
Armourers 
1 9 
Scriveners 
•r 
6 a* 
Girdlers 
105 
Fruiterers 
_ 
T 
Butchers 
22 
Plafterers 
• 
& 
Sadlers 
90 
Brow n-bakers 
- 
13 . 
Carpenters 
' 33 
Stationers 
- 
75 
Cordwainers 
- 60 
Embroiderers 
30. 
Barber-furgeons 
- 60 
Upholders 
- 
9 
Painter-ftainers • 
- - 12 
Muficians - 
. 
6 
Curriers 
- II 
Turners 
. 
* 3 - 
Mafons 
- 22 
Bafket-makers - 
. 
6 
Plumbers 
’ . *9 
Glaziers 
- 
6 
By the fame act all retail dealers in coals were prohibited 
from meeting the veflels,. or by their agents contracting 
for coals, before the (hips were arrived in the portot Lon¬ 
don ; on the penalty ot five (hillings for every ehaldron of 
coals fo foreftalled, or bought by pre-contract. Why 
tliele excellent regulations are become oblolete it w'ould 
be worth while to enquire; but it would be much better 
to revive them. 
The moft extenfive and dreadful conflagration that evep 
afflnfted the city of London, broke out about one o’clock 
in the morning of the ad ot September, 1666, in Pudding- 
lane; and, there not being a ('ufficient aid either of en¬ 
gines or of water, the flames, fomented by a violent eafterly 
wind, (oon got the better of the weak efforts made uf«- 
of to put it out; and, in about thirty hours, they fpread 
to Gracechurch-ftreet towards the north-welt, and to th®. 
Three Cranes, in the Vintry, towards the louth-weft, in¬ 
cluding Cannon-ftreet, and the lanes, alleys, and courts, 
in the way ; and, either by communication or the flakes 
f rom fuch a vaft body of fire kindled by old timber houfes, 
or by any of the other means which have been lufpeded,. 
the flames burlt out in divers and diffant places > and the 
conflagration became (o general, that there w as not a build¬ 
ing left (landing, from the welt end of Tower-wharf, its 
the eafl, to the Temple-church, in the well; nor from the 
north-end of Mincing-lane, in Fenchurch-ftreet, from the 
weft end of Leaderffiall-ftreet, and from the fonth-weft end 
of Bifflopfgate-llreet, as far as the entrance into J"bread- 
needle-ftreet, to Holhorn-bridge, on the weft, in a direct 
line; belides the damage done in Throgmorton-ftreet> 
Lothbury, Coleman-(Ireet, Bafingball-ftreet, Cateaton- 
ftreet, Aldermanbury, Addle-ftreet, Love-lane, Wood- 
ftreet, Staining lane, Noble-ltreet, and Sliver-Itreet; at. 
length, it flopped at Pye-corner, near Welt Smithneld. 
By this horrid conflagration, many, thoufand citizens 
were compelled to retire to the fields, deftitute of all ne» 
ceflaries, and expoled to the inclemency of the weather., 
till a fufficient number of huts could be erected for their 
relief: his majefty immediately ordered a great quantity 
of naval bread to be diltribnted among them, and gave 
orders for the encouragement of the bringing of all torts 
of provifions for their ufe. 
This dreadful and definitive fire laid wafte and con- 
fumed the buildings on four hundred and thirty-fix acres 
of ground, four hundred ftreets, lanes, &c. thirteen thou- 
fand two hundred houfes, the cathedral church of St. Paul, 
eighty-fix parifh-ehurches, (ix chapels, the magnificats 
buildings or Guildhall, the Royal Exchange, Cultom- 
Jioule, and Blackvvell-liall, many holpituis and libraries, 
fifty- 
