Hague. About the latter end of this month their High Mightinesses wrote a letter to the United Provinces, for the celebration of the 28th of Feb. as a day of solemn thanksgiving, fasting and prayer, which imports in substance, That altho’ it has pleas’d God, in his infinite patience and clemency, that we have enjoy’d peace last year, this peace was nevertheless attended with so much uneasiness and difficulty, in relation to the small success of the negotiations set on foot for terminating amicably the differences in Europe, and establishing a general tranquillity, that we are still in a very uncertain and difficult scituation, and have great reason to fear that a war may at last happen, wherein this State may be engag’d, contrary to its inclination: That our apprehension in this respect increases so much the more when we consider, that notwithstanding all the blessings which it hath pleased God to shower down upon our dear Country, the sins and iniquities thereof, far from diminishing, increase daily, to such a degree, that last year horrible, abominable sins appear’d, almost unknown before in this Country; and that we ought to fear, that the patience of the Lord, justly provok’d, ceasing, his Judgments may at last fall upon our dear Country, unless we endeavour to prevent them, by an unfeigned repentance and conversion.
Fairs
From the beginning of February to the 12th of March.
| 1 | Bromley, Lancashire |
| 2 | Ashburn, Derbyshire |
| Armington, Devonshire | |
| Beconsfield, Bucks | |
| Bromley, Kent | |
| Bromley, Staffordshire | |
| Biggleswade, Bedfordshire | |
| Bugworth, Cheshire | |
| Bridgnorth, Shropshire | |
| Cray, Kent | |
| Devizes, Wiltshire | |
| Dorchester | |
| Eastlow, Cornwall | |
| Evesham, Worcestershire | |
| Godalming, Surry | |
| Farringdon, Berkshire | |
| Hambleton, Hampshire | |
| Hindon, Wilts | |
| Lyston Devonshire | |
| Leominster, Herefordshire | |
| Lyme, Dorsetshire | |
| Lynn, Norfolk | |
| Maidstone, Kent | |
| Malton, Yorkshire | |
| Reading, Berkshire | |
| Saltash, Cornwall | |
| 3 | Axbridge, Somersetshire |
| Boxgrove | |
| Blaise, Cornwall | |
| Frampton on Severn | |
| 6 | Stafford |
| 8 | Treganon, Cardiganshire |
| 9 | Llandaff, Glamorganshire |
| 14 | Ashbrittle, Somersetshire |
| Feversham, Kent | |
| Olney, Bucks | |
| Plympton, Devonshire | |
| 22 | Bath, Somersetshire |
| Chipping-norton, Oxfordshire | |
| 23 | Baldock, Hertfordshire |
| 24 | Bourn, Lincolnshire |
| Blandford, Dorsetshire | |
| Corsham, Wilts | |
| Brome, Somersetshire | |
| Higham ferries, Northamptonsh. | |
| Henley on Thames | |
| East Isley, Berkshire | |
| Tewksbury, Gloucestershire | |
| Uppingham, Rutlandshire | |
| 24 | Walden, Essex |
| 26 | Stamford, Lincolnshire |
| 28 | Chesterfield, Derbyshire |
Movable Fairs for the Month of February, and beginning of March, reduced to this Year.
Northalerton, Yorkshire, every Wednesday from Christmas till June.
Hinckley, Leicestershire, three Mondays after Twelfth-day.
Newcastle under Line, March 1st, as Shrove-monday.