OH London , thou Paragon of this Kingdome for beauty & braue buildings , how art thou now widowed of thy chiefest Inhabitants , how art thou left disconsolate , for lacke of thy Merchants , and industricus tradesmen , how sit●st thou mourning for losse of thy sons and daughters , all the Gentry , that of late made thee their Sanctury of safety hath now left thée , and with the wings of feare flies from thee as from a place of terrour , by reason of this grieuous visitation héere laid vpon thee , where to the number of 16000 of thy ablest Inhabitants are departed into the Countrey , as they haue béene lately numbred in diuers of thy Parishes

Besides , the hourly ringing of dead mens knels , the digging vp of graues , the shutting vp of doores , the blazing forth of Red Crosses , and the setting Lord haue mercy vpon vs . vpon the forefront of infected houses , makes the remainder of thy Inhabitants hearts to tremble and qua●e , and to say , what shall we doe to saue our liues .

Some flies to their tender harted Parents to be succored , some to their brothers and sisters , some to their dearest acquaintance , some to their lands and liuings in the Country , to their faire builded houses , leauing their goods and all they haue here behind them in this City , as it were in the kéeping of strangers .

What multitudes do we sée dailie passing into all Countries and shi●es of this Kingdome , with their whole families , some to one place some to another , not daring once to looke backe to this discomforted Citie , both by Waggon , Coach-horse and foot , euen as it were bearing packs vpon their backs to lodge vpon .

Oh you men of much feare , why doe you thus doe ? In not God as strong there as here , doth not his seruant death as soone strike you in the Country , as in the Citie : wheresoeuer you goe or fly he can find you forth : descend into the depths of the earth , there hee will follow you , if you a●cend the cloudes he is there also , if to the sea , he will bee there likewise , and at his pleasure with his pale Dart of vengeance he will suddenly strike you .

There is no flying from God , for his hand , is both swift & strong , and can in the twinkling of an eye if so he please destroy vs all , and follow vs in any place wheresoeuer we seeke to hide our selues : goe not away , but stay by it , set to your helping hands to reléeue the poore which now are shut vp in the time of this gréeuous visitation , & then no doubt but God in his mercy will stay his heauie wrath and indignation , here inflicted vpon vs .

Yet man I sée is mistrustfull , and dares not trust God so much in the City as in the Country , else would they not flye so fast as they doe , but rather stay here to comfort the inflicted , and soonerly at home in their downe beds , then vpon hard flocks abroad .

Great are the woes of many flying Citizens , that for want of lodging , are forced to lie in the fields in haycocks , and pads of straw : some in Barnes , some in stables , some in shéepecots , some in hog-houses , yea most in simple cottages , where the fearfull Country people dare hardly come néere them , but euer kéepe vpon the winde side , lest this doubted infection should blow vpon them .

I haue heard of a yong man of this Citie that in this present sicknesse , went to his father in the Country to bée receiued , who would giue him no entertainment , till hee had washt himselfe starke naked in a pond of water , and so without raiment to come naked into his house , where new cloathes were ready prouided for him , and the old ones cast quite away , this was the feare of a father to his sonne .

Others I haue knowne lodged in Barnes for a whole moneth together before they were suffered to come in any house , ( though their neerest kinsfolks ) to proue if they were infected or not , and then with much feare they were receiued in : all which is now our Citizens vsage in many Countries , so great is the doubt of simple people .

There scarcely can a Citizen passe the high-waies without a Certificate , as the vse of vagrants are , but must be either conuayed from towne with bills and clubs , or kept out at the townes end as Gypsies haue béene in times past .

Oh misery , vpon misery , that one English man should thus vse another and to b● so estranged , that they will hardly let a Traueller haue a péece of bread , or a cup of small drinke for his money , vnlesse he will eate and drinke it by the high-way , and after receiuing mony they wil wash it in a bowle of clean water , for feare the siluer should haue the Infection .

Many haue dyed trauelling by the way for want of succour and warmé lodging , and being dead they haue béen buried cloathes & all , without praier or Church rights belonging to Christian buriall , most like vnto Infidels , or as beasts without soules .

The vsage of the Country is so hard that at this present time that a fathers house haue béen shut vp for giuing his sonne but one nights lod●ing , and not suffered to come abroad for a whole months space , though neuer so cleare from infection .

These and such like are the terrors of the Plague , which makes the Country-man shun a Londoner as from a Bazaliske or Cockatrice , whose very sight and eies séemeth to cary infection : some of them at a Citizens passing by , will close vp their doores , and looke out a far off 〈◊〉 ●heir windows , to see if they passe thorow the Towne and not call i● at any house at all .

This makes London now almost a forsaken City , for her Marke●s are greatly decayed , and grow barren , for the Country-woman dares not bring vp her butter , chéese , egges and such like things , but sel●s them more dearer by the way as she comes , and more quicker , then if they should furnish our Markets with the same , and being come hither , she is in danger of shuting vp at her returne backe , for the very mony she takes for her commodities is thought to bring the Plague downe with it into the Country .

Not a Carier is scarce suffered to bring vp prouision for the Citie , nor beare the like downe againe , but is kept out of the Towne from whence he came and dwelleth , and himselfe and his cattle compelled t● lie in the fields , and not any of them suffered to cary downe people either yong or old , though their owne sons , sisters , brothers or daughters , such are the sorrowes of these times , God amend them when his good will and pleasure is .

It is reported that in Greenwich a Noblemans footman comming by very sicke , died in a Barne , for which the owner thereof , had both his Barne , and his house shut vp for a whole month after , and none of his houshold suffered to come abroad , which is a more cruelty & strictnesse then is here now in London , where the hand of God now heauily striketh .

For here the care of our Magistrats is such , that séeing the distresse of the poore growing great by reason of rich mens leauing the Citie , that should supply them with reliefe , and the deadnesse of the time , when poore men would worke if they had it , and hauing wrought they cannot get money when they haue earn'd it , all this considered the care of our King hath beene graciously cast vpon vs , in commanding the poore , and such as be shut vp to bée mercifully lookt vnto , and most fauourably comforted by our Magistrats .

The prouidence of the Lord Maior is greatly to be commended in requesting the Companies of the City to extend their beneuolence to the poore & infected houses , by whose appointment the same is weekly most charitably giuen : likewise his care deserueth the like commendations , in perswading the people of ability to giue their weekely reliefes to the poore that are not able to helpe themselues : also the zeale of our Preachers , that morning euening , and at all times humbly desireth God to be mercifull to this distressed City now in the hand of God , euen ready to be destroyed .

And now to conclude , it is not your flying from the City , the leauing your houses , almost empty in euery street , your going into fresh ayres & pleasant fields , nor your abiding in Country houses can keep you from this terrible stroke of death , for you there are visited as wel as here , and dye as suddenly in the Country , as we in London .

Many could I name at this present time , that no sooner setled in the Country , as they thinke in safety , but haue dyed presently , therefore it is prayer and true contrition of sins that must allay Gods heauie wrath , and not your lurking in corners , and by places , for Death can find you euery where he goes before you , he followes after , hee beares you company , he spares none , neither Prince nor Peasant , old nor yong , be they neuer so noble , rich , strong , wise , learned , or running in Physicke , hee comes into your counting houses and ki●●eth your money tellers , hee ouerthrowes the dancer , and stoppeth , ●he sweet voice of the singer , hee breakes wedlocke , makes widows , fatherlesse children , and comes in the Chambers of Merchants , their wiues and families : therefore say not with the heathen Philosophers that this Pestilence commeth by mortall chance , by concourse of stars infecting the ayre , corrupting and poysoning of liuing things ▪ No , it is the messenger of God , his scourge & crosse to all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good and bad , in the reward of sin , wherein we are all borne and ●●●ceiued : Then Lord haue mercy vpon vs , according to thy great ●●●cies and louing kindnesse , To whom ( Oh sweet Lord ) we m●●e our daily Praiers , in this grieuous time of Visitation , trusting thou ●●ll most gratiously heare vs for thy deare Sonnes sake our Saui●●r Iesus Christ , Amen .