DANIEL DEFOE. A JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR

said party so visited and escaped to be carried and brought back again

by night, and the parties in this case offending to be punished at the

direction of the alderman of the ward, and the house of the receiver of

such visited person to be shut up for twenty days.

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 are unable; the shutting up to be for the space of four weeks after

all be whole.

‘That precise order to be taken that the searchers, chirurgeons,

keepers, and buriers are not to pass the streets without holding a red

rod or wand of three feet 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 inmate,-c 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 he 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 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 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

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