1.What are the cau?es of the Pe?tilence. 2.How they are avoided. 3.Means to pre?erve the body from Infection.

There are divers cau?es of this di?ea?e. The fir?t is ?in, which ought to be repented of. The ?econd an infected and corrupted air, which ?hould be avoided. The third an evill diet, which ?hould be amended. The fourth are evill humours heaped together in the body, being apt to putrifie, and beget a Fever, which mu?t be taken away by convenient medicines.

Therefore who?oever would pre?erve their bodies from infection, let them fir?t make their peace with God, in who?e hand is the power of life and death. Then let them u?e the meanes, and ?hun all tho?e things that are able to beget this di?ea?e, as all infected and corrupted aire, all fogges and mi?ts that do ari?e from the earth or water, and all ?tinking ?mels that do ari?e from dunghills, ?inks, graves, carrion, ?nuffs of candles, or rotten fruits, or any thing el?e that doth putrifie and ?tink. Ab?tain from all meats and drinks that beget rottenne??e and filthine??e in [2] the body (& ?o con?equently a Fever or the Plague) as exce??ive eating of fruits, e?pecially tho?e that are unripe. Al?o forbear all ?orts of fi?h that have neither ?cales nor ?hels, as Eels, Lampreys, and the like. La?tly, take heed of over-charging the ?tomacke with meats, or drinks, or hot Wines; but e?pecially your unripe medium Wines.

If any ?hall find them?elves oppre??ed with gro?s & corrupt humors, ?o that they are in danger of this di?ea?e they ?hall be clean?ed, by taking one ounce and half, or two ounces, of the infu?ion Crocus metallorum, (which is to be bought at every Apothecaries) & put to it Oximel half an ounce, this ?hall give them five or ?ix vomits, and almo?t as many ?tooles. And after every vomit, let them drinke ?ome warme po??et drinke; ?o let them keepe them?elves warme that day: one houre after it hath done working let them eat a me??e of warm broth made with a neck of Mutton, or with ?uch fre?h meat as the ?ick are be?t able to buy; of which meat let them eat ?paringly for the pre?ent. Tho?e that are ?o tender or weakly that they cannot brook this vomit, they may be very well purged from corrupt humours, by taking one or two drams of pilulÆ Pe?tilentiales: But the poorer ?ort that cannot goe to this charge, may take in?tead thereof Aloes one dram in the pap of an Apple, ?tewed Prunes, or el?e in a little Ale or Beere. This pill, and this Aloes, are excellent remedies for women and children, and they are ?o ?afe that women with child may take them. After the bodie is purged, it ?hall be nece??ary to draw ?ix or eight ounces of bloud from the liver or middle vein of the arme, if the partie be able to ?u?tain the lo??e of it.

[3]
Such as have lived temperatly and ?paringly, and ?o con?equently are not oppre??ed with corrupted humours, ?uch ?hall not need any the afore?aid evacuations or purgations; but let them ?hun, as much as they can, all infectious and corrupted aire: But ?eeing it is a thing almo?t impo?sible in the Citie of London; therefore they that are timorous and fearefull may carry about them the roots of Enula campana, and Angelica, dried or candied, of which they may bite now and then. Al?o the waters of Scabios, Angelica, or Pimpernell, are great pre?ervations for children again?t the Plague, if two ?poonfuls thereof be taken in a morning fa?ting.