Detail View: LUNA: Folger Manuscript Transcriptions Collection: Autograph letter signed from William Pitt, Westminster, to John Pitt the eldest of Blandford, [Dorset], his father [manuscript].

123213

V.a.140

Autograph letter signed from William Pitt, Westminster, to John Pitt the eldest of Blandford, [Dorset], his father [manuscript].

image rotated 90� clockwise

Pitt, William, fl. 1595, correspondent.

1594/95 March 15

folio 28 recto

FSL collection

http://hamnet.folger.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=224595

Deare father my humble dewty remembred and your blissinge with my mothers craved these maye be to certifie you that wee vnderstand here that it hath pleased god to visit your towne of Blanford with the plague, for the which wee are hartelye sorie desyringe god of his greate mercie to staye the same, wherein the good meanes which by your good discretions of the towne maye be vsed with prayer to god will noe doubt greatlye avayle as a seconde cause vnder god to quenche the same againe, yf any fall sicke of it, treacle or metredatum to be geven him in draggons water or cardens benedictus water is verie good, with warme keepinge of him, and garlicke is allso good to expell it burninge of stone pitch ^or tarr on a Chafingedish to be vsed the morninge in everie pryvate howse to aire the peeple of it well, is verie good. temperate dyet & such thinges as doe coolde the bludd are preservatives against it, allso for him which goeth abrode it is ann excellent preservative for him to have in his mouth a peece of dryed Angelica roote which beinge newe & then stirred in the mouth will yeald a notable stronge favor to keepe out the infection I have herein sent you an approved medicine with goodes helpe for one that is infected, which was geven me at michelmis last by one that had it here in london the last somer and I have returned my mother her booke which she lent me good father suffer none of your people goe abrode but such as most of necessitie and yf you thincke it fytt yf the sicknesse continewe I coulde wyshe Neill to be removed to Redclyffe with his boye to entende him, and your selfe and your howseholde to [be] remove allso out of the towne to such place as you shall thincke fyttest and thus prayinge god hartely to be your preservor, and to cease the desease in the towne yf it be his holie will doe committ you to the protection of the lorde as the safest place, Westminster the xvth of Marche 1594./ Your lovinge sonn William Pitt I praye you good father lett vs here from you, as you have meanes to sende howe thinges goe in the towne, I have sent you herewith a boxe of treacle a pewter boxe of metredatum & a littell of angelica rootes as much as I coulde gett for the next moneth is the tyme to drye them. 28r

Transcriptions made by Shakespeare’s World volunteers (shakespearesworld.org), participants in EMROC classes and transcribathons (emroc.hypotheses.org), participants in Folger paleography classes and transcribathons, and Folger docents.