t. You
see we have encamped here, and here we will live. We hope you will
furnish us with victuals.

_Const._ We furnish you! What mean you by that?

_John._ Why, you would not have us starve, would you? If you stop
us here, you must keep us.

_Const._ You will be ill kept at our maintenance.

_John._ If you stint us, we shall make ourselves the better
allowance.

_Const._ Why, you will not pretend to quarter upon us by force,
will you?

_John._ We have offered no violence to you yet, why do you seem to
oblige us to it? I am an old soldier, and cannot starve; and, if
you think that we shall be obliged to go back for want of
provisions, you are mistaken.

_Const._ Since you threaten us, we shall take care to be strong
enough for you. I have orders to raise the county upon you.

_John._ It is you that threaten, not we; and, since you are for
mischief, you cannot blame us if we do not give you time for it. We
shall begin our march in a few minutes.

_Const._ What is it you demand of us?

_John._ At first we desired nothing of you but leave to go through
the town. We should have offered no injury to any of you, neither
would you have had any injury or loss by us. We are not thieves,
but poor people in distress, and flying from the dreadful plague in
London, which devours thousands every week. We wonder how you can
be so unmerciful.

_Const._ Self-preservation obliges us.

_John._ What! To shut up your compassion, in a case of such
distress as this?

_Const._ Well, if you will pass over the fields on your left hand,
and behind that part of the town, I will endeavor to have gates
opened for you.

_John._ Our horsemen cannot pass with our baggage that way. It does
not lead into the road that we want to go, and why should you force
us out of the road? Besides, you have kept us here all day without
any provisions but such as we brought with us. I think you ought to
send us some provisions for our relief.

_Const._ If you will go another way, we will send you some
provisions.

_John._ That is the way to have all the towns in the county stop up
the ways against us.

_Const._ If they all furnish you with food, what will you be the
worse? I see you have tents: you want no lodging.

_John._ We