Every Visited House to be Marked.

"That every house visited, be marked with a red cross of a foot long, in the middle of the door, evident to be seen, and with these usual printed words, that is to say, 'Lord have mercy upon us!' to be set close over the same cross, there to continue until lawful opening of the same house."

Every Visited House to be Watched.

"That the constables see every house shut up, and to be attended with watchmen, which may keep them in, and minister necessaries unto them at their own charges (if they be able), or at the common charge if they be unable: the shutting up to be for the space of four weeks after all be whole.

"That precise order be taken that the searchers, chirurgeons, keepers, and buriers, are not to pass the streets without holding a red rod or wand of three foot in length in their hands, open and evident to be seen, and are not to go into any other house than into their own, or into that whereunto they are directed or sent for; but to forbear and abstain from company, especially when they have been lately used in any such business or attendance."

Inmates.

"That where several inmates are in one and the same house, and any person in that house happens to be infected; no other person or family of such house shall be suffered to remove him or themselves without a certificate from the examiners of health of that parish; or in default thereof, the house whither he or they so remove, shall be shut up as in case of visitation."

Hackney Coaches.

"That care be taken of hackney-coachmen, that they may not (as some of them have been observed to do), after carrying of infected persons to the Pest-House, and other places, be admitted to common use, till their coaches be well aired, and have stood unemployed by the space of five or six days after such service."

ORDERS for cleansing and keeping of the Streets Sweet.
The Streets to be kept Clean.

"First, it is thought necessary, and so ordered, that every householder do cause the street to be daily prepared before his door, and so to keep it clean swept all the week long."

That Rakers take it from out the Houses.

"That the sweeping and filth of houses be daily carried away by the rakers, and that the raker shall give notice of his coming by the blowing of a horn, as hitherto hath been done."

Laystalls to be Made far off From the City.

"That the laystalls be removed as far as may be out of the city, and common passages, and that no nightman or other be suffered to empty a vault into any garden near about the city." Care to be had of unwholesome Fish or Flesh, and of Musty Corn.

"That special care be taken that no stinking fish, or unwholesome flesh, or musty corn, or other corrupt fruits, of what sort soever, be suffered to be sold about the city, or any part of the

same.

"That the brewers and tippling-houses be looked unto, for musty and unwholesome casks.

"That no hogs, dogs, or cats, or tame pigeons, or conies, be suffered to be kept within any part of the city; or any swine to be, or stay in the streets or lanes, but that such swine be impounded by the beadle, or any other officer, and the owner punished according to act of common council, and that the dogs be killed by the dog-killers appointed for that purpose."

ORDERS concerning Loose Persons and Idle Assemblies.

Beggars.

"Forasmuch as nothing is more complained of than the multitude of rogues and wandering beggars, that swarm in every place about the city, being a great cause of the spreading of the infection, and will not be avoided, notwithstanding any orders that have been given to the contrary; it is therefore now ordered, that such constables, and others, whom this matter may any way concern, take special care that no wandering beggar be suffered in the streets of this city, in any fashion or manner whatsoever, upon the penalty provided by the law, to be duly and severely executed upon them."

Plays.

"That all plays, bear-baitings, games, singing of ballads, buckler-play, or such like causes of assemblies of people, be utterly prohibited, and the parties offending severely punished by every alderman in his ward."

Feasting prohibited.

"That all public feasting, and particularly by the companies

of the city, and dinners at taverns, ale-houses, and other places of common entertainment, be forborne till further order and allowance; and that the money thereby spared, be preserved and employed for the benefit and relief of the poor visited with the infection."

Tippling-Houses.

"That disorderly tippling in taverns, ale-houses, coffee-houses, and cellars, be severely looked unto, as the common sin of this time, and greatest occasion of dispersing the plague. And that no company or person be suffered to remain or come into any tavern, ale-house, or coffee-house, to drink, after nine of the clock in the evening, according to the ancient law and custom of this city, upon the penalties ordained in that behalf.

"And for the better execution of these orders, and such other rules and directions as upon further consideration shall be found needful; it is ordered and enjoined, that the aldermen, deputies, and common-councilmen, shall meet together weekly, once, twice, thrice, or oftener (as cause shall require), at some one general place accustomed in their respective wards (being clear from infection of the plague), to consult how the said orders may be duly put in execution; not intending that any, dwelling in or near places infected, shall come to the said meeting while their coming may be doubtful. And the said aldermen, and deputies, and common-councilmen, in their several wards, may put in execution any other good orders that by them at their said meetings shall be conceived and devised, for preservation of his majesty's subjects from the infection.

SIR JOHN LAWRENCE, Lord Mayor.

I need not say that these orders extended only to such places as were within the Lord Mayor's jurisdiction; so it is requisite to observe, that the justices of the peace, within those parishes and places as were called the hamlets, and out-parts, took the same method as I remember, the orders for shutting up of houses did not take place so soon on our side, because, as I said before, the plague did not reach to these eastern parts of the town, at least, nor begin to be very violent, till the beginning of August. For example, the whole bill from the 11th. to the 18th. of July, was 1761, yet there died but 71 of the plague in all those parishes we call the Tower-Hamlets; and they were as follows:

It was indeed coming on amain; for the burials that same week were in the next adjoining parishes thus :

This shutting up of houses was at first counted a very cruel and unchristian method, and the poor people so confined made bitter lamentations: complaints of the severity of it were also daily brought to my Lord Mayor, of houses causelessly (and some maliciously) shut up: I cannot say, but upon inquiry, many