IT is no doubt , that the corruption of the Aire , together with vncleanly and vnwholsome keeping of dwell●ng , where many are pestred together , as also the not-obseruing to haue fires priuate & publikely made as well within ●ouses , as without in the streets , at times when the Aire is infected , are great occasions to increase , corrupt , and produce pestilent Diseases . Neither can it be denyed , that the ouer-boldnesse of many preasing into infected places , and the lewdnesse of others with Sores vpon them , presuming into the open Ayre , some of wilfulnesse , but truly many of necessity , contaminateth and corrupteth diuers : as the Leprosie , the Pocks , and sundry such vncleane diseases doe : as by drinking , lying in company , and other such meanes , where pure complexions and cleane blouds are defiled with such as are putrified ; and therefore carefully to be auoyded . But all these are accidentall , and rather effects then the cause . For it plainly appeareth in the Booke of Exodus , that when it pleased the Almighty God to smite the Aegyptians , the Children of Jsrael were appointed to dip Isop in the Bloud of the Paschall Lambe , and smite of that bloud on the outward Posts of their dores , that when the slayer came to destroy in one night all the first borne in Aegypt , he might passe ouer the houses of Gods children . So that it is plaine , it was an Angell then sent to smite those cruell people with the Pestilence .

Then first ▪ this City of London , cannot be denyed , to haue had as great blessings as euer had Ierusalem : for here God hath long time beene present by his Word and Sacraments , yet they haue abounded in all iniquity , when Ierusalem long since had not a stone left vpon a stone .

Secondly , London is situated as pleasantly as Sodom , and her sister Cities before they sunke , euen for the same sinnes that wee haue committed : for the sinne of Sodom ( saith the Prophet Ezechiel ) was pride , fulnesse of bread , and contempt of the poore . That these sinnes raigne in London , who can deny ? To them , adde fulnesse of drinke ; for therein wee exceede the Nation , that within these fifty yeeres wee hated for drunkennesse : and I doubt , That vnname ▪ able sinne of Sodomy is vsed in too many places of the City . Yet London stands , and so God grant with his mercy it long may .

Lastly , where in the change of Princes , ( especially after long peace , as London most happily enioyed all the time of our late Soueraigne Queene Eli●●beth , of worthy memory ) many Cities haue come to miserable spoile , if not to ruine : yet London , by our most potent Lord and King , hath increased in tranquillity , blessing powring vpon blessing : saue only now for our negligence ▪ God hath with his owne hand smitten vs , and sent many to mourne in death after our late Soueraigne deceased , whom we had almost vngratefully forgotten in a day .

In the City , called the great Caire , there is a Plague once euery seu●● yeeres , which commeth with such a fiercenesse , that the most part of the people there doe dye thereof : and diuers of them that remaine aliue , lose their eye-sight with the vapours and great heat which commeth from the ground .

In the yeere of Christ , 81. and in the yeere 188. there continued a great time a Plague in Rome , of which there dayly dyed two thousand people .

In the yeere 254. fifteene Prouinces of the Romane Empire , were in a manner consumed with the Pestilence .

In the yeere 530 ▪ there dyed in Constantinople fiue thousand a day , and diuers times ten thousand : and at that time , in some other parts of Greece , there were not sufficient liuing men left to bury their dead .

And in the yeere 1569. there fell such a Plague in Constantinople , that there died in six moneths space , seuen hundred thousand persons , and the yeere following fell such a famine , that a penny loafe of Bread of English money , 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 yeere 540. there began an vniuersall Plague all ouer the world , that continued 50. yeeres with great violence .

In the yeere 1348. in Paris in Fra●ce , there dyed a hundred thousand people of the Plague .

In the yeere 1359. so great a Pestilence there was in Italy , that there were scarce ten left of a thousand .

In the yeere 1521. there died in Rome a hundred thousand of the Pestilence .

In the yeeres 1576. and 77. in Millan , Padua and Venice , there fell a hundred thousand in euery City : and in Bohemia ( being but a small Kingdome ) here dyed three hundred thousand the same time .

Soon after the conquest of King William , Duke of Normandy , when the people were subdued to him , and the Knights fees rated which he had made , an● himselfe placed with Crowne and Scepter , he 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 Tillag● decayed , Famine ensued , with Rot of cattell , that men were fa●ne to eat ●lesh of Dogs , Cats and Mice . A fearefull example for Princes .

In the Ra●gne of King Edward the third , there fell a very great Pestilence in the East-Indies , among the Tartarians , Saracens and Turkes , which laste● the space of seuen yeeres : through the feare whereof , many of the Heath●ns willingly offred themselues to become Christians . And shortly after , ●y reason of Passengers from one Prouince to another , the same Pestilenc● was dispersed in many Christian Kingdomes , & amongst other places , b●●ught into England ; where it was so forcible all ouer the Land , that not ●nely men , but also Beasts , Birds and Fishes were smitten therewith , and ●ound dead with Botches vpon them . Also among men , the numbers tha● were left aliue , were scarcely sufficient to bury their dead . At which t●me , with the rest that then dyed of the Plague , Henry , Duke of Lancaster Blanch , Duchesse of Lancaster , and the Earle of Warwicke ended their ●iues . So that in one yeere , in a little plot of ground of thirteene Acres co●passe , then called Spittle-croft , and now the Charterhouse , was buried fif●y thousand persons , besides all them that were buried in the Church-ya●ds , and diuers places in the fields .

Also in Barbary , Alexandria , Tripolie , and in Constantinople , in the yeere 1602. fell so grieuous a Plague , that there dyed three thousand a day for a long time together .

Our visitations , though our sinnes exceede , haue beene more gentle : For in the first great Plague in our memory , after the lo●●e of New-hauen , from the first of Ianuary 1562. to December 1563. there dyed of the Plague , twenty thousand , one hundred , thirty six .

In the second great Visitation , from the 20. of December 1592. to the 23. of the same moneth , in the yeere 1593. dyed in all 25886. of the Plague in and about London , 15003. And in the yeere before , 2000.

In the last Visitation which it pleased God to strike vs with , at the comming in of King Iames of happy memory , there dyed 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.

From the 25. of August , to the 1. of September , there dyed in London and the Liberties , 3385. whereof of the Plague 3035. being the greatest number that dyed in one weeke .

From the 23. of December , 1602. vnto the 22. of December , 1603. there died of all Diseases , within London and the Liberties , thirty eight thousand , two hundred , foure and forty ; whereof , of the Plague , thirty thousand , fiue hundred , seuenty eight : and the next yeere following , London was cleere of that infection , and then were all the Shires in England grieuously visited . Note the worke of God .

Now those that dyed this present Visitation , 1625. are here set downe weekely , for better satisfaction to the Reader .