idle assemblies

ORDERS CONCERNING LOOSE PERSONS AND IDLE ASSEMBLIES. Beggars: 'Forasmuch as nothing is more complained of than the multitude of rogues and wandering beggars that swarm in every place about the city, being a great cause of the spreading of the infection, and will not be avoided, notwithstanding any orders that have been given to the contrary: It is therefore now ordered, that such constables, and others whom this matter may any way concern, take special care that no wandering beggars be suffered in the streets of this city in any fashion or manner whatsoever, upon the penalty provided by the law, to be duly and severely executed upon them. Plays: 'That all plays, bear-baitings, games, singing of ballads, buckler-play, or such-like causes of assemblies of people be utterly prohibited, and the parties offending severely punished by every alderman in his ward. Feasting prohibited: 'That all public feasting, and particularly by the companies of this city, and dinners at taverns, ale-houses, and other places of common entertainment, be forborne till further order and allowance; and that the money thereby spared be preserved and employed for the benefit and relief of the poor visited with the infection. Tippling-houses: 'That disorderly tippling in taverns, ale-houses, coffee-houses, and cellars be severely looked unto, as the common sin of this time and greatest occasion of dispersing the plague. And that no company or person be suffered to remain or come into any tavern, ale-house, or coffee-house to drink after nine of the clock in the evening, according to the ancient law and custom of this city, upon the penalties ordained in that behalf. 'And for the better execution of these orders, and such other rules and directions as, upon further consideration, shall be found needful: It is ordered and enjoined that the aldermen, deputies, and common councilmen shall meet together weekly, once, twice, thrice or oftener (as cause shall require), at some one general place accustomed in their respective wards (being clear from infection of the plague), to consult how the said orders may be duly put in execution; not intending that any dwelling in or near places infected shall come to the said meeting while their coming may be doubtful. And the said aldermen, and deputies, and common councilmen in their several wards may put in execution any other good orders that by them at their said meetings shall be conceived and devised for preservation of his Majesty's subjects from the infection. 'SIR JOHN LAWRENCE, Lord Mayor. SIR GEORGE WATERMAN SIR CHARLES DOE, Sheriffs.' ____________________________________________________________________________________john lawrence was the lord mayor of london during the plauge and was in and out of london offices and politics until his death in 1692...george waterman later became lord mayor...of charles doe there is little to tell...at least that i can find offhand...here bars and movie theaters are closed...collections of more than ten people actively discouraged....restaurants are "take-out" only ( and many have massive signs bearing telephone numbers for said take-out )...and "multitudes of wandering rouges and beggars" have always been discouraged...so the seventeenth century strictures encouraging "social distancing" ( who makes these phrases up anyway? does the media have staffs of "new and distorting coinage" on retainer? "keep your distance" would have sufficed ) have come around again to be "seriously looked unto" in an effort to provide the "preservation" of good citizens "from the infection"...everything old is new again it seems...and i wonder how seriously the new strictures are looked unto since there were surely more than ten people at the supermarket when i was there this morning ( they had mounds of bread by the by...and paper products galore...good luck with the bleach and soap however )...there seem limits to restrictions on social intercourse when the intercourse is deemed "necessary"...and times like these are likely to give a new frame of reference to "necessary"...however i believe we touched on that yesterday...

today the cdc is citing 7038 cases of covid-19 nation-wide and in the territories...that represents and increase of 2812 which cannot be considered close to exponential growth...while 22 more deaths is not an explosion either it is 22 more familial tragedies and should be sobering and render us sympathetic to that grief...it is,in fact, is the source ( but not the amplifier ) of all the fear that is raging around this outbreak...that and the unknowns...there are nine more cases in my state and the health department has tested a staggering 193 people...which tells me that on a state-wide basis...and, by extension country-wide basis, no one really knows the extent of this and other countries have demonstrated how easily transmissible this can be...so caution is in order...i am not endorsing a cavalier attitude or engaging in denial...simply not giving in to the hysteria that seems to be going on...

and, it seems, exacerbated by media ( i may seem to be harping on the times since its "work" is usually what i am focusing on as far as media goes...it is the paper of record and its take on the news "trickles down" to other news outlets so i am taking it as representative...and i do not watch television )...pretty much doom and gloom at the times and the pompous friedman is advocating a new historical demarcation bc...before covid...and ac...after covid...it is true that perspectives on life will change ( we touched on that yesterday as well i believe ) and some may never look at things quite the same...still...he is no dionysius exiguus, or even the venerable bede...one hopes the new system dies a pundit death...whatever the motives of the media i am having difficulty equating the panic to the numbers...7038 cases out of a population of 329,409,291 ( est. ) is an infinitesimal percentage...again...no one really knows how many cases there are and caution is advisable...i am simply having problems with the panic...and that panic is only exacerbating the economic storm that is going on...i would not turn down two grand...most would not...it won't go very far if the eighteen month duration the government is making plans for actually comes to pass...eighteen months of on again off again business closures and "social distancing' would make the great depression look palatable...unlike the government or tom friedman i don't claim to have an accurate picture of what is going on and i am reasonably convinced they do not either...

and, at least today, the markets seem unconvinced as well...despite the passage of the "relief law" by the senate earlier...so we are back to uncertainty as a philosophy...nothing new in that...they seem uncertain about everything...expect more news...i am on an enforced fourteen day hiatus from retail...i will have time to poke around and opinionate...forewarned is forearmed...