The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c.
Who was Born in Newgate, and during a Life of continu’d Variety forThreescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times aWife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year aTransported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv’d Honest, and diesa Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums . . .
by Daniel Defoe
THE AUTHOR’S PREFACE
The world is so taken up of late with novels and romances, that it will be hardfor a private history to be taken for genuine, where the names and othercircumstances of the person are concealed, and on this account we must becontent to leave the reader to pass his own opinion upon the ensuing sheet, andtake it just as he pleases.
The author is here supposed to be writing her own history, and in the verybeginning of her account she gives the reasons why she thinks fit to concealher true name, after which there is no occasion to say any more about that.
It is true that the original of this story is put into new words, and the styleof the famous lady we here speak of is a little altered; particularly she ismade to tell her own tale in modester words that she told it at first, the copywhich came first to hand having been written in language more like one still inNewgate than one grown penitent and humble, as she afterwards pretends to be.
The pen employed in finishing her story, and making it what you now see it tobe, has had no little difficulty to put it into a dress fit to be seen, and tomake it speak language fit to be read. When a woman debauched from her youth,nay, even being the offspring of debauchery and vice, comes to give an accountof all her vicious practices, and even to descend to the particular occasionsand circumstances by which she ran through in threescore years, an author mustbe hard put to it wrap it up so clean as not to give room, especially forvicious readers, to turn it to his disadvantage.
All possible care, however, has been taken to give no lewd ideas, no immodestturns in the new dressing up of this story; no, not to the worst parts of herexpressions. To this purpose some of the vicious part of her life, which couldnot be modestly told, is quite left out, and several other parts are very muchshortened. What is left ’tis hoped will not offend the chastest reader orthe modest hearer; and as the best use is made even of the worst story, themoral ’tis hoped will keep the reader serious, even where the story mightincline him to be otherwise. To give the history of a wicked life repented of,necessarily requires that the wicked part should be make as wicked as the realhistory of it will bear, to illustrate and give a beauty to the penitent part,which is certainly the best and brightest, if related with equal spirit andlife.
It is suggested there cannot be the same life, the same brightness and beauty,in relating the penitent part as is in the criminal part. If there is any truthin that suggestion, I must be allowed to say ’tis because there is notthe same taste and relish in the reading, and indeed it is too true that thedifference lies not in the real worth of the subject so much as in the gust andpalate of the reader.
But as this work is chiefly recommended to those who know how to read it, andhow to make the good uses of it which the story all along recommends to them,so it is to be hoped that such readers will be more pleased with the moral thanthe fable, with the application than with th