could see, could not but suppose that they
were a great many in company, they began to be uneasy, not for their
going away, but for staying where they were; and above all, perceiving
they had horses and arms, for they had seen one horse and one gun at
the tent, and they had seen others of them walk about the field on the
inside of the hedge by the side of the lane with their muskets, as they
took them to be, shouldered; I say, upon such a sight as this, you may
be assured they were alarmed and terribly frighted, and it seems they
went to a justice of the peace to know what they should do. What the
justice advised them to I know not, but towards the evening they called
from the barrier, as above, to the sentinel at the tent.

'What do you want?' says John.*

'Why, what do you intend to do?' says the constable. 'To do,' says John;
'what would you have us to do?' Constable. Why don't you be gone? What
do you stay there for?

John. Why do you stop us on the king's highway, and pretend to refuse us
leave to go on our way?

Constable. We are not bound to tell you our reason, though we did let
you know it was because of the plague.

John. We told you we were all sound and free from the plague, which we
were not bound to have satisfied you of, and yet you pretend to stop us
on the highway.

Constable. We have a right to stop it up, and our own safety obliges
us to it. Besides, this is not the king's highway; 'tis a way upon
sufferance. You see here is a gate, and if we do let people pass here,
we make them pay toll.

John. We have a right to seek our own safety as well as you, and you may
see we are flying for our lives: and 'tis very unchristian and unjust to
stop us.

Constable. You may go back from whence you came; we do not hinder you
from that.

John. No; it is a stronger enemy than you that keeps us from doing that,
or else we should not have come hither.

Constable. Well, you may go any other way, then.

John. No, no; I suppose you see we are able to send you going, and all
the people of your parish, and come through your town when we will; but
since you have stopped us here, we are content. You see we have encamped
here, and here we will live. We hope you will furnish us with victuals.

*It seems John was in the tent, but hearing them call, he
steps out, and taking the gun upon his shoulder, talked to
them as if he had been the sentinel placed there upon the
guard by some officer that