heir neighbours, they had the
distemper upon them, or (as may be said) among them, and so carried
it about them whither they went. Or (2) because they were not careful
enough, after they were safely removed out of the towns, not to come in
again and mingle with the diseased people.

But be it which of these it will, when our travellers began to perceive
that the plague was not only in the towns, but even in the tents and
huts on the forest near them, they began then not only to be afraid, but
to think of decamping and removing; for had they stayed they would have
been in manifest danger of their lives.

It is not to be wondered that they were greatly afflicted at being
obliged to quit the place where they had been so kindly received, and
where they had been treated with so much humanity and charity; but
necessity and the hazard of life, which they came out so far to
preserve, prevailed with them, and they saw no remedy. John, however,
thought of a remedy for their present misfortune: namely, that he would
first acquaint that gentleman who was their principal benefactor with
the distress they were in, and to crave his assistance and advice.

The good, charitable gentleman encouraged them to quit the Place for
fear they should be cut off from any retreat at all by the violence of
the distemper; but whither they should go, that he found very hard to
direct them to. At last John asked of him whether he, being a justice of
the peace, would give them certificates of health to other justices whom
they might come before; that so whatever might be their lot, they might
not be repulsed now they had been also so long from London. This his
worship immediately granted, and gave them proper letters of health, and
from thence they were at liberty to travel whither they pleased.

Accordingly they had a full certificate of health, intimating that they
had resided in a village in the county of Essex so long that, being
examined and scrutinised sufficiently, and having been retired from all
conversation for above forty days, without any appearance of sickness,
they were therefore certainly concluded to be sound men, and might be
safely entertained anywhere, having at last removed rather for fear of
the plague which was come into such a town, rather than for having any
signal of infection upon them, or upon any belonging to them.

With this certificate they removed, though with great reluctance; and
John inclining not to go far from ho