IT is no doubt that the corruption of the ayre , together with vncleanly and vnwholsome kéeping of dwelling , where many are pestered together , as also the not obseruing to haue fiers priuate & publiquely made as well within houses , as without in the stréets , at times when the ayre is infected , are great occasions to increase corrupt and pestilent diseases . Neither can it be denied , that the ouer-boldnes of many preasing into infected places , and the lewdnes of others with sores vppon them , presuming into the open ayre , some of wilfulnes , but truly many of necessitie , contaminateth & corrupteth diuers : as the Leprosie , the Pocks , and sundry such vncleane diseases doo : as by drinking , lying in company , and other such meanes , where pure complexions and cleane bloods are defiled with such as are putrified : and therefore carefully to be auoyded . But all these are accidentall , and rather effects then the cause .

Then first this Citty of London cannot be denied , to haue had as great blessings as euer had Ierusalem , for héere God hath long time béen present by his Word and Sacraments , yet they haue abounded in all iniquitie , when Ierusalem long since had not a stone left vpon a stone .

In the yéere of Christ , 81. and in the yere 188. there continued a great time a plague in Rome , of which there daily died two thousand people .

In the yéere 254. fiftéene prouinces of the Romaine Empire , were in a manner consumed with the pestilence .

In the yéere 530. there died in Constantinople fiue thousand a day , and diuers times tenne thousand : and at that time , in some other parts of Gréece , there were not sufficient liuing men left to bury their dead .

And in the yéere 1569. there fell such a plague in Constantinople , that there died in sixe months space , 7. hundred thousand persons , and the yéere following fell such a famine , that a penny loafe of bread of English mony , was worth a crowne of gold : by reason whereof , the people died as fast then of the famine , as they did before of the plague .

In the yéere 540. there began an vniuersall plague all ouer the world , that continued 50. yéeres with great violence .

In the yéere 1348. in Paris in Fraunce , there died a hundred thousand people of the Plague .

In the yéere 1359. so great a pestilence there was in Italy , that there were scarce tenne left of a thousand . And in the yéere 1521. there died in Rome a hundred thousand of the pestilence .

In the yéeres 1576. and 77. in Millan , Padua , and Uenice , there fell a hundred thousand in euery Citty : and in Bohemia ( béeing but a small Kingdome ) there died thrée hundred thousand the same time .

Soone after the conquest of King William , Duke of Normandy , when the people were subdued to him , and the Knights fés rated which he had made , and himselfe placed with crowne and scepter , hee tooke number of the acres of land in all the realme , and of all the people , and of all the cattell : after which fell so sore a plague , that the people died in such number that tillage decaied , and famine ensued , with rot of cattell , that men were faine to eate flesh of dogs , cats , & mise . A fearefull example for Princes .

In the raigne of King Edward the third , there fell a very great pestilence in the East-Indies , among the Tartarians , Saracens , & Turks , which lasted the space of seauen yéeres : through the feare whereof , many of the Heathens willingly offered themselues to become Christians . And shortly after , by reason of passengers from one Prouince to another , the same pestilence was dispersed in many Christian Kingdoms , & amongst other places , brought into England : where it was so forcible all ouer the Land , that not onely men , but also beasts , birds , and fishes were smitten therewith , and found dead with botches vpon them . Also among men , the number that were left aliue , were scarely sufficient to bury their dead . At which time , with the rest that then died of the plague , Henry Duke of Lancaster , Blanch Dutchesse of Lancaster , and the Earle of Warwicke ended the liues . So that in one yéere , in a little plot of ground of 13. acres compasse , then called Spittle-croft , and now the Charter-house , was buried fifty thousand persons , besides all them that were then buried in the Churchyards , and diuers places in the fields .

Also in Barbarie , Alexandria , Tripolie , and in Constantinople , this last yéere 1602. fell so grieuous a plague , that there died thréere thousand a day for a long time together .

Our visitations , though our sinnes excéede , haue beene more gentle . For in the first great plague in our memory after the losse of Newhauen , from the first of Ianuary 1562. to Decemb. 1563. there died of the plague , twenty thousand , one hundred , thirtie sixe .

And in the last great visitation , from the 20. of December 1592. to the 23. of the same month in the yéere 1593. died in all 25886. of the plague in and about London , 15003. And in the yéere before , 2000.

God of his mercy , as he did then , hold his heauy hand from vs , and giue vs true repentance , the onely meane to win his grace toward vs .

And now in this present visitation which it pleaseth God to strike vs with , there hath died from the 17. of December 1602. to the 14. of Iuly 1603. the whole number in London and the liberties , 4314. Whereof of the plague , 3310. The rest are set downe as they haue followed wéekely .

¶ The whole number buried within the 8. seuerall places last before-named , since the sicknes began in them , is 4024. Whereof the number of the plague , is 3700.

¶ And the full number that hath beene buried in all , both within London and the liberties , and the eight other seuerall places last before mentioned , is 37376. Whereof the number of the plague is , 32368.