id to the joiner, his comrade, "Let us encourage them
too, as much as we can." So he called to them. "Hark ye, good people,"
says the joiner; "we find by your talk that you are flying from the same
dreadful enemy as we are. Do not be afraid of us; we are only three poor
men of us. If you are free from the distemper, you shall not be hurt by
us. We are not in the barn, but in a little tent here on the outside,
and we will remove for you; we can set up our tent again immediately
anywhere else." And upon this a parley began between the joiner, whose
name was Richard, and one of their men, whose said name was Ford.

_Ford._ And do you assure us that you are all sound men?

_Rich._ Nay, we are concerned to tell you of it, that you may not
be uneasy, or think yourselves in danger; but you see we do not
desire you should put yourselves into any danger, and therefore I
tell you that we have not made use of the barn; so we will remove
from it, that you may be safe and we also.

_Ford._ That is very kind and charitable; but if we have reason to
be satisfied that you are sound, and free from the visitation, why
should we make you remove, now you are settled in your lodging,
and, it may be, are laid down to rest? We will go into the barn, if
you please, to rest ourselves awhile, and we need not disturb you.

_Rich._ Well, but you are more than we are. I hope you will assure
us that you are all of you sound too, for the danger is as great
from you to us as from us to you.

_Ford._ Blessed be God that some do escape, though it be but few!
What may be our portion still, we know not, but hitherto we are
preserved.

_Rich._ What part of the town do you come from? Was the plague come
to the places where you lived?

_Ford._ Ay, ay, in a most frightful and terrible manner, or else we
had not fled away as we do; but we believe there will be very few
left alive behind us.

_Rich._ What part do you come from?

_Ford._ We are most of us from Cripplegate Parish; only two or
three of Clerkenwell Parish, but on the hither side.

_Rich._ How, then, was it that you came away no sooner?

_Ford._ We have been away some time, and kept together as well as
we could at the hither end of Islington, where we got leave to lie
in an old uninhabited house, and had some bedding and conveniences
of our