I come back to my three men.  Their story has a moral in every part of it; and their whole conduct, and that of some whom they joined with, is a pattern for all poor men to follow, or women either, if ever such a time comes again:  and if there was no other end in recording it, I think this a very just one, whether my account be exactly according to fact or no.

Two of them were said to be brothers, the one an old soldier, but now a biscuit baker; the other a lame sailor, but now a sailmaker; the third a joiner.  Says John the biscuit baker, one day, to Thomas, his brother, the sailmaker, “Brother Tom, what will become of us?  The plague grows hot in the city, and increases this way.  What shall we do?”

“Truly,” says Thomas, “I am at a great loss what to do; for I find if it comes down into Wapping I shall be turned out of my lodging.”  And thus they began to talk of it beforehand.

     John. Turned out of your lodging, Tom?  If you are, I don’t know
     who will take you in; for people are so afraid of one another now,
     there is no getting a lodging anywhere.

Tho. Why, the people where I lodge are good civil people, and have kindness for me too; but they say I go abroad every day to my work, and it will be dangerous; and they talk of locking themselves up, and letting nobody come near them.

     John. Why, they are in the right, to be sure, if they resolve to
     venture staying in town.

Tho. Nay, I might even resolve to stay within doors too; for, except a suit of sails that my master has in hand, and which I am just finishing, I am like to get no more work a great while.  There’s no trade stirs now, workmen and servants are turned off everywhere; so that I might be glad to be locked up too.  But I do not see that they will be willing to consent to that any more than to the other.

John. Why, what will you do then, brother?  And what shall I do? for I am almost as bad as you.  The people where I lodge are all gone into the country but a maid, and she is to go next week, and to shut the house quite up; so that I shall be turned adrift to the wide world before you:  and I am resolved to go away too, if I knew but where to go.

Tho. We were both distracted we did not go away at first, when we might ha’ traveled anywhere:  there is no stirring now.  We shall be starved if we pretend to go out of town.  They won’t let us have victuals, no, not for our money, nor let us come into the towns, much less into their houses.

     John. And, that which is almost as bad, I have but little money
     to help myself with, neither.