第1章

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。