was his superior. [Footnote in
the original.]

Constable. We furnish you I What mean you by that?

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

Constable. You will be ill kept at our maintenance.

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

Constable. 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.

Constable. 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.*

Constable. 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 could be so unmerciful!

Constable. Self-preservation obliges us.

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

Constable. Well, if you will pass over the fields on your left hand, and
behind that part of the town, I will endeavour 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.

* This frighted the constable and the people that were with
him, that they immediately changed their note.

** They had but one horse among them.
[Footnotes in the original.]

Constable. 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.

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

John. Well, what quantity of provisions will you send us?

Constable. H