but towards Evening they call’d from the Barrier, as above, to the Centinel at the Tent.
What do ye want? ſays John[1]
Why, what do ye intend to do? ſays the Conſtable.
To do, ſays John, What wou'd you have us to do?
Conſt. 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?
Conſt. 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 found, 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.
Conſt. 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.
Conſt. 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 ha’ come hither.
Conſt. Well, you may go any other way then.
- ↑ It ſeems John was in the Tent, but hearing them call he ſteps out, and taking the Gun upon his Shoulder, talk’d to them as if he had been the Centinel plac’d there upon the Guard by ſome Officer that was his Superior.
