Our travellers found by this that they were a good, sober sort of people, and flying for their lives, as they 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 dwelling was infected and shut up; and we are come away in a fright.

Richard.  And what way are you going?

Ford.  As our lot shall cast us; we know not whither, but God will guide those that look up to Him.

They parleyed no further at that time, but came all up to the barn, and with some difficulty got into it.  There was nothing but hay in the barn, but it was almost full of that, and they accommodated themselves as well as they could, and went to rest; but our travellers observed that before they went to sleep an ancient man who it seems was father of one of the women, went to prayer with all the company, recommending themselves to the blessing and direction of Providence, before they went to sleep.