“The summer of the year 1507, was memorable here from the awful visitation of the ‘sweating sickness,’ which raged for a short time with great violence. It is recorded that 91 householders were carried off in three days by this distemper; but it is worthy of remark, that the female sex were generally exempt from the plague, only four having fallen victims to the disease. Cats and women have each nine lives! In 1517, the sweating sickness again proved fatal to many of the inhabitants; and the city was also infected with the plague, probably to a more serious extent. It is recorded that ‘many died and others fled out of the city, insomuch that the streets were full of grass;’ and ‘that for want of trading the grass did grow a foot high at the Cross, and in other streets of the city.’ In 1550 the city suffered severely from the sweating sickness, and to this affliction was added a great scarcity of provisions; corn selling in Chester at sixteen shillings a bushel. From the year 1602 to 1605, with few intermissions, the dreadful effects of the plague were experienced in the city. It is stated to have begun in the month of September, in the former year, at the house of one Glover, in St. John’s lane, in whose house alone seven persons died. The contagion was particularly fatal in 1603 and 1604; 650 persons died in the former year, and 986 in the latter; at one period 55 died weekly.—During this dreadful visitation, the fairs of the city were suspended, the court of exchequer was removed to Tarvin, and the county assizes were held at Nantwich. The plague had abated in the month of February 1605.” From this time to 1642 no event of any great importance appears to have transpired. In the autumn of that year, however, the Cestrians found themselves embroiled in the civil war which then broke out in England; and as this was one of the proudest and most memorable epochs in our city’s history, a condensed sketch of the part she and her sons played therein may not be uninteresting. On the 25th of August, 1642, the commons being then in open rebellion against his majesty, King Charles hoisted his standard at Nottingham, and proclaimed war between himself and the parliament. “Three weeks after this, the king came to Chester, accompanied by a numerous train: the incorporated companies of the city received him and conducted him to the Pentice, where he and his suite were entertained. After the banquet, 200_l._ were presented to his majesty, and half that sum to the Prince of Wales. On the 28th of September, the king proceeded to Wrexham, escorted by the corporation to the city boundary.