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 from the Letters of Merchants, and others, who correſponded abroad, and from them was handed about by Word of Mouth only; ſo that things did not ſpread inſtantly over the whole Nation, as they do now. But it ſeems that the Government had a true Account of it, and ſeveral Counſels were held about Ways to prevent its coming over; but all was kept very private. Hence it was, that this Rumour died off again, and People began to forget it, as a thing we were very little concern'd in, and that we hoped was not true; till the latter End of November, or the Beginning of December 1664, when two Men, ſaid to be French-men, died of the Plague in Long Acre, or rather at the upper End of Drury-Lane. The Family they were in, endeavour'd to conceal it as much as poſſible; but as it had gotten ſome Vent in the Diſcourſe of the Neighbourhood, the Secretaries of State gat Knowledge of it. And concerning themſelves to inquire about it, in order to be certain of the Truth, two Phyſicians and a Surgeon were order'd to go to the Houſe, and make Inſpection. This they did; and finding evident Tokens of the Sickneſs upon both the Bodies that were dead, they gave their Opinions publickly, that they died of the Plague: Whereupon it was given in to the Pariſh Clerk, and he alſo return'd them to the Hall; and it was printed in the weekly Bill of Mortality in the uſual manner, thus,

Plague 2. Pariſhes infected 1.

The People ſhew'd a great Concern at this, and began to be allarm'd all over the Town, and the more, becauſe in the laſt Week in December 1664, another Man died in the ſame