In 1603, the year Elizabeth 1, died. 30,000 Londoners died of the plague.

The bubonic plague, the purple whip of vengeance, was carried by rats and passed to people by flea bites. A person developed primary buboes in the armpits and groin, which multiplied into many running sores, and accompanied with sweating, shakes, nausea, chills, high temperatures, vomiting and diarrhea, would cause one to gallop towards a nasty, painful messy death.