and died afterwards. Besides, I must still be allowed to say, that if the bills of mortality said five thousand, I always believed it was near twice as many in reality; there being no room to believe that the account they gave was right, or that indeed, they were, among such confusions as I saw them in, in any condition to keep an exact

account.

But to return to my travellers :-Here they were only examined, and as they seemed rather coming from the country than from the city, they found the people the easier with them; that they talked to them, let them come into a public-house where the constable and his warders were, and gave them drink and some victuals, which greatly refreshed and encouraged them; and here it came into their heads to say, when they should be inquired of afterwards, not that they came from London, but that they came out of Essex.

To forward this little fraud, they obtained so much favour of the constable at Old-Ford, as to give them a certificate of their passing from Essex through that village, and that they had been at London; which, though false in the common acceptation of London in the country, yet was literally true; Wapping or Radcliff being no part either of the city or liberty.

This certificate, directed to the next constable that was at Hummerton, one of the hamlets of the parish of Hackney, was so serviceable to them, that it procured them not a free passage there only, but a full certificate of health from a justice of the peace; who, upon the constable's application, granted it without much difficulty; and thus they passed through the long-divided town of

Hackney, (for it lay then in several separated hamlets,) and travelled on till they came into the great north road on the top of Stamford-hill.

By this time they began to be weary, and so in the back road from Hackney, a little before it opened into the said great road, they resolved to set up their tent, and encamp for the first night; which they did accordingly, with the addition, that, finding a barn, or a building like a barn, and first searching as well as they could, to be sure there was nobody in it, they set up their tent, with the head of it against the barn: this they did also because the wind blew that night very high, and they were but young at such a way of lodging, as well as at the managing their tent.

Here they went to sleep, but the joiner, a grave and sober man, and not pleased with their lying at this loose rate the first night, could not sleep, and resolved, after trying to sleep to no purpose, that he would get out, and taking the gun in his hand, stand sentinel, and guard his companions: so, with the gun in his hand, he walked to and again before the barn, for that stood in the field near the road, but within the hedge. He had not been long upon the scout, but he heard a noise of people coming on as if it had been a great number, and they came on, as he thought, directly towards the barn. He did not presently awake his companions, but in a few minutes more their noise growing louder and louder, the biscuitbaker called to him and asked him what was the matter, and quickly started out too: the other being the lame sail-maker, and most weary, lay still in the tent.

As they expected, so the people who they had heard, came on directly to the barn, when one of

our travellers challenged, like soldiers upon the guard, with" who comes there?" The people did not answer immediately, but one of them speaking to another that was behind him,—“ Alas! alas! we are all disappointed," says he, "here are some people before us, the barn is taken up.' They all stopped upon that, as under some surprise, and it seems there was about thirteen of them in all, and some women among them: they consulted together what they should do, and by their discourse, our travellers soon found they were poor distressed people too, like themselves, seeking shelter and safety; and besides, our travellers had no need to be afraid of their coming up to disturb them; for as soon as they heard the words,-who comes there? these could hear the women say, as if frighted," Do not go near them: how do you know but they may have the Plague?" And when one of the men said,-"Let us but speak to them;" the women said,—" No, don't by any means, we have escaped thus far by the goodness of God, do not let us run into danger now, we beseech you."

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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 on the outside, and we will remove for you, we can

set up our tent again immediately any where 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?

Rich." 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."

Rich.-"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."

Rich.- "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 but we believe there will be very few left alive behind us."

do;

Rich." 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."

Rich. "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."

Rich.

"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.

It was soon day at that time of the year; and as Richard the joiner had kept guard the first part of the night, so John the soldier relieved him, and he had the post in the morning, and they began to be acquainted with one another. seems, when they left Islington, they intended to have gone north, away to Highgate, but were

It