From the River they travelled towards the Foreſt, but when they came to Walthamſtow the People of that Town denied to admit them, as was the Caſe every where: The Conſtables and their Watchmen kept them off at a Diſtance, and Parly’d with them; they gave the ſame Account of themſelves as before, but theſe gave no Credit to what they ſaid, giving it for a Reaſon that two or three Companies had already come that Way and made the like Pretences, but that they had given ſeveral People the Diftemper in the Towns where they had paſs’d, and had been afterwards ſo hardly us’d by the Country, tho’ with Juſtice too, as they had deſerv’d; that about Brent-Wood or that Way, ſeveral of them Periſh’d in the Fields, whether of the Plague, or of mere Want and Diſtreſs, they could not tell.
This was a good Reaſon indeed why the People of Walthamſtow ſhou’d be very cautious, and why they ſhou’d reſolve not to entertain any Body that they were not well ſatisfied of. But as Richard the Joyner, and one of the other Men who parly’d with them told them, it was no Reaſon why they ſhould block up the Roads, and refuſe to let People paſs thro’ the Town, and who ask’d nothing of them, but to go through the Street: That if their People were afraid of them, they might go into their Houſes and ſhut their Doors, they would neither ſhow them Civility nor Incivility, but go on about their Buſineſs.
The Conſtables and Attendants, not to be perſwaded by Reaſon, continued Obſtinate, and wou’d hearken to nothing; ſo the two Men that talk’d with them went back to their Fellows, to conſult what was to be done: It was very diſcouraging in the whole, and they knew not what to do for a good while: But at laſt John the Soldier and Biſcuit-Baker conſidering a-while, Come, ſays he, leave the reſt of the Parly to me; he had not appear’d yet, ſo he ſets the Joyner Richard to Work to cut ſome Poles
