WhowasBorninNewgate，andduringaLifeof
continu’dVarietyforThreescoreYears，besidesher
Childhood，wasTwelveYearaWhore，fivetimesa
Wife(whereofoncetoherownBrother)，TwelveYear
aThief，EightYearaTransportedFeloninVirginia，
atlastgrewRich，liv’dHonest，anddiesaPenitent。
WrittenfromherownMemorandums
Theworldissotakenupoflatewithnovelsandromances，
thatitwillbehardforaprivatehistorytobetakenforgenuine，
wherethenamesandothercircumstancesofthepersonare
concealed，andonthisaccountwemustbecontenttoleave
thereadertopasshisownopinionupontheensuingsheet，
andtakeitjustashepleases。
Theauthorisheresupposedtobewritingherownhistory，
andintheverybeginningofheraccountshegivesthereasons
whyshethinksfittoconcealhertruename，afterwhichthere
isnooccasiontosayanymoreaboutthat。
Itistruethattheoriginalofthisstoryisputintonewwords，
andthestyleofthefamousladyweherespeakofisalittle
altered；particularlysheismadetotellherowntaleinmodester
wordsthatshetolditatfirst，thecopywhichcamefirstto
handhavingbeenwritteninlanguagemorelikeonestillin
Newgatethanonegrownpenitentandhumble，asshe
afterwardspretendstobe。
Thepenemployedinfinishingherstory，andmakingitwhat
younowseeittobe，hashadnolittledifficultytoputitinto
adressfittobeseen，andtomakeitspeaklanguagefittobe
read。
Whenawomandebauchedfromheryouth，nay，even
beingtheoffspringofdebaucheryandvice，comestogivean
accountofallherviciouspractices，andeventodescendtothe
particularoccasionsandcircumstancesbywhichsheranthrough
inthreescoreyears，anauthormustbehardputtoitwrapit
upsocleanasnottogiveroom，especiallyforviciousreaders，
toturnittohisdisadvantage。
Allpossiblecare，however，hasbeentakentogivenolewd
ideas，noimmodestturnsinthenewdressingupofthisstory；
no，nottotheworstpartsof
herexpressions。
Tothispurpose
someoftheviciouspartofherlife，whichcouldnotbe
modestlytold，isquiteleftout，andseveralotherpartsare
verymuchshortened。
Whatisleft’tishopedwillnotoffend
thechastestreaderorthemodesthearer；andasthebestuse
ismadeevenoftheworststory，themoral’tishopedwillkeep
thereaderserious，evenwherethestorymightinclinehimto
beotherwise。
Togivethehistoryofawickedliferepentedof，
necessarilyrequiresthatthewickedpartshouldbemakeas
wickedastherealhistoryofitwillbear，toillustrateandgive
abeautytothepenitentpart，whichiscertainlythebestand
brightest，ifrelatedwithequalspiritandlife。
Itissuggestedtherecannotbethesamelife，thesamebrightness
andbeauty，inrelatingthepenitentpartasisinthecriminal
part。
Ifthereisanytruthinthatsuggestion，Imustbeallowed
tosay’tisbecausethereisnotthesametasteandrelishinthe
reading，andindeeditistotruethatthedifferenceliesnotin
therealworthofthesubjectsomuchasinthegustandpalate
ofthereader。
Butasthisworkischieflyrecommendedtothosewhoknow
howtoreadit，andhowtomakethegoodusesofitwhichthe
storyallalongrecommendstothem，soitistobehopedthat
suchreaderswillbemoreleasedwiththemoralthanthefable，
withtheapplicationthanwiththerelation，andwiththeend
ofthewriterthanwiththelifeofthepersonwrittenof。
Thereisinthisstoryabundanceofdelightfulincidents，and
allofthemusefullyapplied。
Thereisanagreeableturnartfully
giventhemintherelating，thatnaturallyinstructsthereader，
eitheronewayorother。
Thefirstpartofherlewdlifewiththe
younggentlemanatColchesterhassomanyhappyturnsgiven
ittoexposethecrime，andwarnallwhosecircumstancesare
adaptedtoit，oftheruinousendofsuchthings，andthefoolish，
thoughtless，andabhorredconductofboththeparties，thatit
abundantlyatonesforallthelivelydescriptionshegivesofher
follyandwickedness。
TherepentanceofherloverattheBath，andhowbroughtby
thejustalarmofhisfitofsicknesstoabandonher；thejust
cautiongiventhereagainsteventhelawfulintimaciesofthe
dearestfriends，andhowunabletheyaretopreservethemost
solemnresolutionsofvirtuewithoutdivineassistance；these
arepartswhich，toajustdiscernment，willappeartohave
morerealbeautyinthemalltheamorouschainofstorywhich
introducesit。
Inaword，asthewholerelationiscarefullygarbledofallthe
levityandloosenessthatwasinit，soitallapplied，andwith
theutmostcare，tovirtuousandreligioususes。
Nonecan，
withoutbeingguiltyofmanifestinjustice，castanyreproach
uponit，oruponourdesigninpublishingit。
Theadvocatesforthestagehave，inallages，madethisthe
greatargumenttopersuadepeoplethattheirplaysareuseful，
andthattheyoughttobeallowedinthemostcivilisedandin
themostreligiousgovernment；namely，thattheyareapplied
tovirtuouspurposes，andthatbythemostlivelyrepresentations，
theyfailnottorecommendvirtueandgenerousprinciples，and
todiscourageandexposeallsortsofviceandcorruptionof
manners；andwereittruethattheydidso，andthatthey
constantlyadheredtothatrule，asthetestoftheiractingon
thetheatre，muchmightbesaidintheirfavour。
Throughouttheinfinitevarietyofthisbook，thisfundamental
ismoststrictlyadheredto；thereisnotawickedactioninany
partofit，butisfirstandlastrenderedunhappyandunfortunate；
thereisnotasuperlativevillainbroughtuponthestage，but
eitherheisbroughttoanunhappyend，orbroughttobea
penitent；thereisnotanillthingmentionedbutitiscondemned，
evenintherelation，noravirtuous，justthingbutitcarriesits
praisealongwithit。
Whatcanmoreexactlyanswertherule
laiddown，torecommendeventhoserepresentationsofthings
whichhavesomanyotherjustobjectionsleavingagainstthem？
namely，ofexample，ofbadcompany，obscenelanguage，and
thelike。
Uponthisfoundationthisbookisrecommendedtothereader
asaworkfromeverypartofwhichsomethingmaybelearned，
andsomejustandreligiousinferenceisdrawn，bywhichthe
readerwillhavesomethingofinstruction，ifhepleasestomake
useofit。
Alltheexploitsofthisladyoffame，inherdepredationsupon
mankind，standassomanywarningstohonestpeopleto
bewareofthem，intimatingtothembywhatmethodsinnocent
peoplearedrawnin，plunderedandrobbed，andbyconsequence
howtoavoidthem。
Herrobbingalittleinnocentchild，dressed
finebythevanityofthemother，togotothedancing-school，
isagoodmementotosuchpeoplehereafter，asislikewiseher
pickingthegoldwatchfromtheyounglady’ssideinthePark。
Hergettingaparcelfromahare-brainedwenchatthecoaches
inSt。JohnStreet；herbootymadeatthefire，andagainat
Harwich，allgiveusexcellentwarningsinsuchcasestobe
morepresenttoourselvesinsuddensurprisesofeverysort。
Herapplicationtoasoberlifeandindustriousmanagementat
lastinVirginia，withhertransportedspouse，isastoryfruitful
ofinstructiontoalltheunfortunatecreatureswhoareobliged
toseektheirre-establishmentabroad，whetherbythemisery
oftransportationorotherdisaster；lettingthemknowthat
diligenceandapplicationhavetheirdueencouragement，even
intheremotestpartsoftheworld，andthatnocasecanbeso
low，sodespicable，orsoemptyof
prospect，butthatan
unweariedindustrywillgoagreatwaytodeliverusfromit，
willintimeraisethemeanestcreaturetoappearagainthe
world，andgivehimanewcaseforhislife。
Thereareafewoftheseriousinferenceswhichweareled
bythehandtointhisbook，andthesearefullysufficientto
justifyanymaninrecommendingittotheworld，andmuch
moretojustifythepublicationofit。
Therearetwoofthemostbeautifulpartsstillbehind，which
thisstorygivessomeideaof，andletsusintothepartsofthem，
buttheyareeitherofthemtoolongtobebroughtintothesame
volume，andindeedare，asImaycallthem，wholevolumesof
themselves，viz。:1。Thelifeofhergoverness，asshecallsher，
whohadrunthrough，itseems，inafewyears，alltheeminent
degreesofagentlewoman，awhore，andabawd；amidwife
andamidwife-keeper，astheyarecalled；apawnbroker，a
childtaker，areceiverofthieves，andofthieves’purchase，
thatistosay，ofstolengoods；andinaword，herselfathief，
abreederupofthievesandthelike，andyetatlastapenitent。
Thesecondisthelifeofhertransportedhusband，ahighwayman，
whoitseems，livedatwelveyears’lifeofsuccessfulvillainy
upontheroad，andevenatlastcameoffsowellastobea
volunteertransport，notaconvict；andinwhoselifethereis
anincrediblevariety。
But，asIhavesaid，thesearethingstoolongtobringinhere，
soneithercanImakeapromiseofthecomingoutby
themselves。
Wecannotsay，indeed，thatthishistoryiscarriedonquiteto
theendofthelifeofthisfamousMollFlanders，asshecalls
herself，fornobodycanwritetheirownlifetothefullendofit，
unlesstheycanwriteitaftertheyaredead。
Butherhusband’s
life，beingwrittenbyathirdhand，givesafullaccountofthem
both，howlongtheylivedtogetherinthatcountry，andhow
theybothcametoEnglandagain，afterabouteightyears，in
whichtimetheyweregrownveryrich，andwhereshelived，
itseems，tobeveryold，butwasnotsoextraordinaryapenitent
asshewasatfirst；itseemsonlythatindeedshealwaysspoke
withabhorrenceofherformerlife，andofeverypartofit。
Inherlastscene，atMarylandandVirginia，manypleasant
thingshappened，whichmakesthatpartofherlifevery
agreeable，buttheyarenottoldwiththesameelegancyasthose
accountedforbyherself；soitisstilltothemoreadvantagethat
webreakoffhere。
