The House had a large debate on a Country in America, called Florida,
a large and spacious place, and bordering upon Virginia, much
like of that Hundur as, on the other side, the Spanish Gold and Silver;
in this place the Natives live (faith an eminent Historian) to 200,250
and some to 300 years, untill they can neither see, hear, speak, or go: if
it should prove so to the English, it will be a good place for those to go unto,
who hold no resurrection, nor life, after this.
By Letters from Lancaster thus: Sir, Great is the burden which we
undergo in these parts, and too too heavy is the oppressing hand, for
monthly contribution[unr] the poorer sort threatning, if we distraine any
more upon their goods, and take their bread out of their wives and
childrens mouths, that they will leave their habitations, and force the
Gentry to maintain them. |(Indeed we find their conditions very sad, having
more need to be relieved, then to have any thing forced from them,
which they take such extraordinary pains for, and all not enough to maintain
them with bread and drink.) They say they are not able to submit
any longer to this slavish condition, and if an Army of Turks or Heathens
come to ease them of these burdens, and relieve them from such
oppressions, many of them declare and protest, they will assist them
with their lives, and the remainder of their small fortunes. (For they
account such as do oppresse them to be their greatest enemies, and those
that ease them, their chiefest friends. If the Lord puts it not into the bart
of the Parl. to take some speedy course for the ease of the people, we it[unr] all then
fear nothing but confusion, and many will turn, Levellers upon necessity.
Some letters like wise make mention, that there lately hapned some
action at Preston in the aforesaid county, between the Presbyterians and
Independents, occasioned by an ill-depending expression, That the floor
of Hell was pav'd with the sculs of Kings, and the walls, with the bones of
Cavaliers. In which dispute, many were hurt, but at last, after the exchange
of many furious blows, the quarrel ended.
The weekly Bill of Mortality for the City of London.
Buried within the 97 Parishes within the walls, of all Diseases, 59 plague O
Buryed in the 16 parishes without the walls, and at the pest house 82 plague 2
Buryed in the ten out parishes in Middlesex and Surry 56 plague 0
The totall of all the Burials this week in the places aforesaid |197 pleague 2
Increased in the Burials this week |2
The Assize of Bread set forth by Order of the Lord Major, and Court of Aldermen.
A penury wheaten loaf to contain 6 ounces and a half, and three half peny whose leaves
the like weight.