Page:A Journal of the Plague Year (1722).djvu/160

 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 tho’ 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 liv’d?

Ford. Ay ay, in a moſt frightful and terrible manner, or elſe we had not fled away as we do; but we believe there will be very few left alive behind us. 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 Conveniencies 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 Lott ſhall caſt us, we know not whither, but God will Guide thoſe that look up to him. They parlied 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 cou’d, and went to Reſt; but our Travellers obſerv’d, that before they went to Sleep, an antient Man, who it ſeems was