ſtill by the Name of Bear-Key, where they ſupply’d the City plentifully with Corn, when Land Carriage began to fail, and when the People began to be ſick of coming from many Places in the Country.
This alſo was much of it owing to the Prudence and Conduct of the Lord Mayor, who took ſuch care to keep the Maſters and Seamen from Danger, when they came up, cauſing their Corn to be bought off at any time they wanted a Market, (which however was very ſeldom) and cauſing the Corn-Factors immediately to unlade and deliver the Veſſels loaden with Corn, that they had very little occaſion to come out of their Ships or Veſſels, the Money being always carried on Board to them, and put into a Pail of Vinegar before it was carried.
The ſecond Trade was, that of Coals from Newcaſtle upon Tyne; without which the City would have been greatly diſtreſſed; for not in the Streets only, but in private Houſes and Families, great Quantities of Coals were then burnt, even all the Summer long, and when the Weather was hotteſt, which was done by the Advice of the Phyſicians; ſome indeed oppos’d it, and inſiſted that to keep the Houſes and Rooms hot, was a means to propagate the Diſtemper, which was a Fermentation and Heat already in the Blood, that it was known to ſpread, and increaſe in hot Weather, and abate in cold, and therefore they alledg’d that all contagious Diſtempers are the worſe for Heat, becauſe the Contagion was nouriſhed, and gain’d Strength in hot Weather, and was as it were propagated in Heat.
Others ſaid, they granted, that Heat in the Climate might propagate Infection, as ſultry hot Weather fills the Air with Vermine, and nouriſhes innumerable Numbers, and Kinds of venomous Creatures, which breed in our Food, in the Plants, and even in our Bodies, by the very ſtench of which, Infection
