were; and, as they were
encouraged by it, so John said 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 in
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, who said his name
was Ford.

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

Richard. 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 a while, and we need not disturb you.

Richard. 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 is but few; what may
be our portion still we know not, but hitherto we are preserved.

Richard. 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.

Richard. What part do you come from?

Ford. We are most of us of Cripplegate parish, only two or three of
Clerkenwell parish, but on the hither side.

Richard. 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 own that
we brought with us; but the plague is come up into Islington too, and
a house next door to our poor