ersal a
flight that the city would have been in danger of being entirely
deserted of its inhabitants, except the poor, and the country of being
plundered and laid waste by the multitude. Nor were the magistrates
deficient in performing their part as boldly as they promised it; for my
lord mayor and the sheriffs were continually in the streets and at
places of the greatest danger; and though they did not care for having
too great a resort of people crowding about them, yet in emergent cases
they never denied the people access to them, and heard with patience
all their grievances and complaints. My lord mayor had a low gallery
built on purpose in his hall, where he stood, a little removed from the
crowd, when any complaint came to be heard, that he might appear with as
much safety as possible.

Likewise the proper officers, called my lord mayor's officers,
constantly attended in their turns, as they were in waiting; and if any
of them were sick or infected, as some of them were, others were
instantly employed to fill up, and officiate in their places till it was
known whether the other should live or die.

In like manner the sheriffs and aldermen did,[257] in their several
stations and wards, where they were placed by office; and the sheriff's
officers or sergeants were appointed to receive orders from the
respective aldermen in their turn; so that justice was executed in all
cases without interruption. In the next place, it was one of their
particular cares to see the orders for the freedom of the markets
observed; and in this part either the lord mayor, or one or both of the
sheriffs, were every market day on horseback to see their orders
executed, and to see that the country people had all possible
encouragement and freedom in their coming to the markets and going back
again, and that no nuisance or frightful object should be seen in the
streets to terrify them, or make them unwilling to come. Also the bakers
were taken under particular order, and the master of the Bakers' Company
was, with his court of assistants, directed to see the order of my lord
mayor for their regulation put in execution, and the due assize[258] of
bread, which was weekly appointed by my lord mayor, observed; and all
the bakers were obliged to keep their ovens going constantly, on pain of
losing the privileges of a freeman of the city of London.

By this means, bread was always to be had in plenty, and as cheap as
usual, as I said above; and