enience, namely, that of their horse; for, by means of the horse
to carry their baggage, they were obliged to keep in the road, whereas
the people of this other band went over the fields or roads, path or no
path, way or no way, as they pleased. Neither had they any occasion to
pass through any town, or come near any town, other than to buy such
things as they wanted for their necessary subsistence; and in that,
indeed, they were put to much difficulty, of which in its place.

But our three travelers were obliged to keep the road, or else they must
commit spoil, and do the country a great deal of damage in breaking down
fences and gates to go over inclosed fields, which they were loath to do
if they could help it.

Our three travelers, however, had a great mind to join themselves to
this company, and take their lot with them; and, after some discourse,
they laid aside their first design, which looked northward, and resolved
to follow the other into Essex. So in the morning they took up their
tent and loaded their horse, and away they traveled all together.

They had some difficulty in passing the ferry at the riverside, the
ferryman being afraid of them; but, after some parley at a distance, the
ferryman was content to bring his boat to a place distant from the
usual ferry, and leave it there for them to take it. So, putting
themselves over, he directed them to leave the boat, and he, having
another boat, said he would fetch it again; which it seems, however, he
did not do for above eight days.

Here, giving the ferryman money beforehand, they had a supply of
victuals and drink, which he brought and left in the boat for them, but
not without, as I said, having received the money beforehand. But now
our travelers were at a great loss and difficulty how to get the horse
over, the boat being small, and not fit for it, and at last could not do
it without unloading the baggage and making him swim over.

From the river they traveled towards the forest; but when they came to
Walthamstow, the people of that town denied[197] to admit them, as was
the case everywhere; the constables and their watchmen kept them off at
a distance, and parleyed with them. They gave the same account of
themselves as before; but these gave no credit to what they said, giving
it for a reason, that two or three companies had already come that way
and made the like pretenses, but that they had given several people the
distemper in the towns where th