Orders conceiued and agreed to be published, by the Lord Mayor and aldermen of the citie of London, and the iustices of peace of the counties of Middlesex and Surrey, by direction from the Lords of His Maiesties most honourable Priuie Councell

Orders conceiued and agreed to be published , by the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the Citie of London , and the Iustices of Peace of the Counties of Middlesex and Surrey , by direction from the Lords of his Maiesties most Honourable priuie COVNCELL .

WHereas in the first yeare of his Maiesties most happy raigne ouer this Realme of England , an Acte was made , for the charitable reliefe , and ordering of persons Infected with the Plague : whereby Authority is giuen to Iustices of Peace , Mayors , Bayliffes , and other head Officers , to appoint within their seuerall Limittes Examiners , Searchers , Watchmen , Keepers , and Buriers for the persons and places infected , and to minister vnto them Oathes for performance of their Offices . And the same Statute also authorizeth the giuing of other Directions , as vnto them for the present necessity , shall seeme good in their discretions . It is therefore vpon speciall consideration thought very expedient , for the preuenting and auoyding of the infection of Sickenes ( if it shall please Almightie God ) which is now dangerously dispersed into many places within the Citie and Suburbs of the same : that these Officers following be appointed , and these Orders hereafter prescribed be duly obserued .

FIrst it is thought requisite and so ordered , Examiners be appointed in euery Parish . that in euery Parish there be one , two or more persons of good sorte and credite , chosen and appointed by the Alderman his Deputy , and Common Counceil of euery Ward , and by the Iustices of Peace in the Counties , by the name of Examiners , to continue in that Office the space of two moneths at least : and if any fit persons , so appointed as aforesaid , shall refuse to vndertake the same , the said parties so refusing , to be committed to Prison vntill they shall conforme themselues accordingly .

THat these Examiners be sworne by the Alderman , The Examiners Office . or by one of the Iustices of the Countie , to enquire and learne from time to time what houses in euery Parish be visited , and what persons be sicke , and of what diseases , as neere as they can informe themselues and vpon doubt in that case , to command restraint of accesse , vntill it appeare what the disease shall proue : and if they find any persons sicke of the infection , to giue order to the Constable , that the house be shut vp : and if the Constable shall be found remisse or negligent , to giue present notice thereof to the Alderman , or the Iustice of Peace respectiuely .

THat to euery infected house there be appointed two Watchmen , Watchmen . one for the day and the other for the night : and that these Watchmen haue a speciall care that no person goe in or out of such infected houses , whereof they haue the charge , vpon paine of seuere punishment . And the said Watchmen to doe such further Offices as the sicke house shall neede and require : and if the Watchman be sent vpon any busines , to locke vp the house and take the key with him : and the Watchman by day to attend vntill tenne of the clocke at night : and the watchman by night till sixe in the morning .

company the Coarse to Church , or to enter the house Visited , vpon paine of hauing his house shut vp or be imprisoned .

THat no Clothes , No infected stuffe to bee vttered . Stuffe , Bedding or Garments be suffered to be carried or conuayed out of any infected houses , and that the Cryers and carriers abroad of Bedding or olde Apparell , to be Solde or Pawned , be vtterly prohibited and restrained : and no Brokers of Bedding , or olde Apparell bee permitted to make any outward Show , or hang forth on their Stalles , Shop-boards or Windowes , towards any Streete , Lane , common Way or Passage , any olde Bedding or Apparell to be solde , vpon paine of Imprisonment : and if any Broker or other person shall buy any Bedding , Apparell or other Stuffe out of any infected house , within two moneths after the infection hath beene there , his house shall be shut vp as infected , and so shall continue shut vp twenty daies at the least .

IF any person visited doe fortuue , by negligent looking vnto , or by any other meanes , to come or be conuayed from a place infected , to any other place , the Parish from whence such partie hath come , or beene conuaied , vpon notice thereof giuen , shall at their charge cause the saide party so visited and escaped , to be carried and brought backe againe by night , and the parties in this case offending , to bee punished at the direction of the Alderman of the Warde , and the Iustices of the Peace respectiuely : and the house of the receiuer of such visited person , to be shutte vp for twenty daies .

THat euery house visited be marked with a red Crosse of a foote long , Euery visited house to be marked . in the middle of the Doore , euident to be seene , and with these vsuall printed wordes : that is to say , Lord haue mercy vpon vs to be set close ouer the same Crosse , there to continue vntill lawfull opening of the same house .

THat the Constables see euery house shut vp , and to bee attended with Watchmen , which may keepe them in , Euery visited house to bee watched . and minister necessaries vnto them at their owne charges ( if they be able ) or at the common charge if they be vnable : the shutting vp to be for the space of foure Weekes after all be whole .

That precise order be taken that the Searchers , Chirurgions , Keepers and Buriers are not to passe the Streetes without holding a redde Rodde or Wand of three foote in length , in their hands , open and euident to bee seene , and are not to goe into any other house then into their owne , or into that whereunto they are directed or sent for , but to forbeare and abstaine from company , especially when they haue beene lately vsed in any such busines or attendance .

And to this end it is ordered , that a Weekely Taxe be made in euery Parish visited , if in the Citie or Borough then vnder the hand of the Alderman of the Warde , where the place is visited : if neither of the Counties , then vnder the hands of some of the Iustices next to the place visited , who , if there be cause , may extend the Taxe into other Parishes also , and may giue warrant of distresse against them which shall refuse to pay : and for want of distresse or for assistance , to commit the offenders to Prison , according to the Statute in that behalfe .

❧ Orders for clensing and keeping sweete of the Stteetes .

FIrst it is thought very necessary and so ordered , The streets to bee kept cleane . that euery House-holder doe cause the Streete to be daily Pared before his Doore , and so to keepe it cleane Swept all the Weeke long .

THat the Sweeping and Filth of houses to be daily carried away by the Rakers , That the Rakers take it from out the houses . and that the Raker shall giue notice of his comming by the blowing of a Horne , as heretofore hath beene done .

THat the Laiestals be remoued as farre as may be out of the Citie , Laiestals to be made farre off from the Citie . and common Passages , and that no Night-man or other be suffered to emptie a Vault into any Garden , neere about the Citie .

THat especiall care be taker , Care to be had of vnwholsome Fish or Flesh , and of musty Corne . that no stinking Fish or vnwholsome Flesh , or mustie Corne or other corrupt fruits , of what sort soeuer be suffered to bee solde about the Citie or any part of the same .

That the Bruers and Tipling houses be looked vnto , for musty and vnwholsome Caske .

That order be taken that no Hogges , Dogges or Cattes , or tame Pigeons , or Conies be suffred to be kept within any parte of the Citie , or any Swine to be or stray in the Streets or Lanes , but that such Swine be Impounded by the Beadle , or any other Officer , and the owner punished according to the Acte of common Councell , and that the Dogges be killed by the Dog-killers , appointed for that purpose .

❧ Orders concerning loose Persons and idle Assemblies .

FOrasmuch as nothing is more complained on then the multitude of Roagues and Wandering Beggers , Beggers . that swarme in euery place about the Citie , being a great cause of the spreading of the infection , and will not be auoyded , notwithstanding any order that hath beene giuen to the Contrary : It is therefore now ordered , that such Constables and others , whome this matter may any way concerne , doe take speciall care , that no wandring Begger be suffered in the Streetes of this Citie , in any fashion or manner whatsoeuer , vpon paine of the penaltie prouided by the law , to be duly and seuerely executed vpon them .

THat all Plaies , Plaies . Bearebaitings , Games , Singing of Ballads , Buckler-play , or such like causes of Assemblies of people , be vtterly prohibited , and the parties offending , seuerely punished , by any Alderman or Iustice of the Peace .

THat disorderly tippling in Tauernes , Tipling houses . Alehouses and Sellers , be seuerely looked vnto , as the common sinne of this time , and greatest occasion of dispersing the Plague : and where any shall be found to offend , the penalty of the Statute to bee laide vpon them with all seueritie .

And for the better execution of these orders , as also for such other directions as shal be needfull , It is agreed that the Iustices of the Citie and the Counties adioyning doe meete together once in tenne dayes , eyther at the Sessions house without Newgate , or some other conuenient place , to conferre of things as shall be needfull in this behalfe .

And euery person neglecting the duety required , or willingly offending against any Article or clause , contained in these Orders , he to be seuerely punished by imprisonment , or otherwise , as by law he ought .

God saue the King .