Moll FlandersI摩尔弗兰德斯英文版.docx

Moll FlandersI摩尔弗兰德斯英文版.docx

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MollFlandersI摩尔弗兰德斯英文版

MollFlanders（I）摩尔·弗兰德斯（英文版）

DanielDefoe

Part1

Author'sPreface

Theworldissotakenupoflatewithnovelsandromances,thatitwillbehardforaprivatehistorytobetakenforgenuine,wherethenamesandothercircumstancesofthepersonareconcealed,andonthisaccountwemustbecontenttoleavethereadertopasshisownopinionupontheensuingsheet,andtakeitjustashepleases.

Theauthorisheresupposedtobewritingherownhistory,andintheverybeginningofheraccountshegivesthereasonswhyshethinksfittoconcealhertruename,afterwhichthereisnooccasiontosayanymoreaboutthat.

Itistruethattheoriginalofthisstoryisputintonewwords,andthestyleofthefamousladyweherespeakofisalittlealtered;particularlysheismadetotellherowntaleinmodesterwordsthatshetolditatfirst,thecopywhichcamefirsttohandhavingbeenwritteninlanguagemorelikeonestillinNewgatethanonegrownpenitentandhumble,assheafterwardspretendstobe.

Thepenemployedinfinishingherstory,andmakingitwhatyounowseeittobe,hashadnolittledifficultytoputitintoadressfittobeseen,andtomakeitspeaklanguagefittoberead.Whenawomandebauchedfromheryouth,nay,evenbeingtheoffspringofdebaucheryandvice,comestogiveanaccountofallherviciouspractices,andeventodescendtotheparticularoccasionsandcircumstancesbywhichsheranthroughinthreescoreyears,anauthormustbehardputtoitwrapitupsocleanasnottogiveroom,especiallyforviciousreaders,toturnittohisdisadvantage.

Allpossiblecare,however,hasbeentakentogivenolewdideas,noimmodestturnsinthenewdressingupofthisstory;no,nottotheworstpartsofherexpressions.Tothispurposesomeoftheviciouspartofherlife,whichcouldnotbemodestlytold,isquiteleftout,andseveralotherpartsareverymuchshortened.Whatisleft'tishopedwillnotoffendthechastestreaderorthemodesthearer;andasthebestuseismadeevenoftheworststory,themoral'tishopedwillkeepthereaderserious,evenwherethestorymightinclinehimtobeotherwise.Togivethehistoryofawickedliferepentedof,necessarilyrequiresthatthewickedpartshouldbemakeaswickedastherealhistoryofitwillbear,toillustrateandgiveabeautytothepenitentpart,whichiscertainlythebestandbrightest,ifrelatedwithequalspiritandlife.

Itissuggestedtherecannotbethesamelife,thesamebrightnessandbeauty,inrelatingthepenitentpartasisinthecriminalpart.Ifthereisanytruthinthatsuggestion,Imustbeallowedtosay'tisbecausethereisnotthesametasteandrelishinthereading,andindeeditistotruethatthedifferenceliesnotintherealworthofthesubjectsomuchasinthegustandpalateofthereader.

Butasthisworkischieflyrecommendedtothosewhoknowhowtoreadit,andhowtomakethegoodusesofitwhichthestoryallalongrecommendstothem,soitistobehopedthatsuchreaderswillbemoreleasedwiththemoralthanthefable,withtheapplicationthanwiththerelation,andwiththeendofthewriterthanwiththelifeofthepersonwrittenof.

Thereisinthisstoryabundanceofdelightfulincidents,andallofthemusefullyapplied.Thereisanagreeableturnartfullygiventhemintherelating,thatnaturallyinstructsthereader,eitheronewayorother.ThefirstpartofherlewdlifewiththeyounggentlemanatColchesterhassomanyhappyturnsgivenittoexposethecrime,andwarnallwhosecircumstancesareadaptedtoit,oftheruinousendofsuchthings,andthefoolish,thoughtless,andabhorredconductofboththeparties,thatitabundantlyatonesforallthelivelydescriptionshegivesofherfollyandwickedness.

TherepentanceofherloverattheBath,andhowbroughtbythejustalarmofhisfitofsicknesstoabandonher;thejustcautiongiventhereagainsteventhelawfulintimaciesofthedearestfriends,andhowunabletheyaretopreservethemostsolemnresolutionsofvirtuewithoutdivineassistance;thesearepartswhich,toajustdiscernment,willappeartohavemorerealbeautyinthemalltheamorouschainofstorywhichintroducesit.

Inaword,asthewholerelationiscarefullygarbledofallthelevityandloosenessthatwasinit,soitallapplied,andwiththeutmostcare,tovirtuousandreligioususes.Nonecan,withoutbeingguiltyofmanifestinjustice,castanyreproachuponit,oruponourdesigninpublishingit.

Theadvocatesforthestagehave,inallages,madethisthegreatargumenttopersuadepeoplethattheirplaysareuseful,andthattheyoughttobeallowedinthemostcivilisedandinthemostreligiousgovernment;namely,thattheyareappliedtovirtuouspurposes,andthatbythemostlivelyrepresentations,theyfailnottorecommendvirtueandgenerousprinciples,andtodiscourageandexposeallsortsofviceandcorruptionofmanners;andwereittruethattheydidso,andthattheyconstantlyadheredtothatrule,asthetestoftheiractingonthetheatre,muchmightbesaidintheirfavour.

Throughouttheinfinitevarietyofthisbook,thisfundamentalismoststrictlyadheredto;thereisnotawickedactioninanypartofit,butisfirstandlastrenderedunhappyandunfortunate;thereisnotasuperlativevillainbroughtuponthestage,buteitherheisbroughttoanunhappyend,orbroughttobeapenitent;thereisnotanillthingmentionedbutitiscondemned,evenintherelation,noravirtuous,justthingbutitcarriesitspraisealongwithit.Whatcanmoreexactlyanswertherulelaiddown,torecommendeventhoserepresentationsofthingswhichhavesomanyotherjustobjectionsleavingagainstthem?

namely,ofexample,ofbadcompany,obscenelanguage,andthelike.

Uponthisfoundationthisbookisrecommendedtothereaderasaworkfromeverypartofwhichsomethingmaybelearned,andsomejustandreligiousinferenceisdrawn,bywhichthereaderwillhavesomethingofinstruction,ifhepleasestomakeuseofit.

Alltheexploitsofthisladyoffame,inherdepredationsuponmankind,standassomanywarningstohonestpeopletobewareofthem,intimatingtothembywhatmethodsinnocentpeoplearedrawnin,plunderedandrobbed,andbyconsequencehowtoavoidthem.Herrobbingalittleinnocentchild,dressedfinebythevanityofthemother,togotothedancing-school,isagoodmementotosuchpeoplehereafter,asislikewiseherpickingthegoldwatchfromtheyounglady'ssideinthePark.

Hergettingaparcelfromahare-brainedwenchatthecoachesinSt.JohnStreet;herbootymadeatthefire,andagainatHarwich,allgiveusexcellentwarningsinsuchcasestobemorepresenttoourselvesinsuddensurprisesofeverysort.

HerapplicationtoasoberlifeandindustriousmanagementatlastinVirginia,withhertransportedspouse,isastoryfruitfulofinstructiontoalltheunfortunatecreatureswhoareobligedtoseektheirre-establishmentabroad,whetherbythemiseryoftransportationorotherdisaster;lettingthemknowthatdiligenceandapplicationhavetheirdueencouragement,evenintheremotestpartsoftheworld,andthatnocasecanbesolow,sodespicable,orsoemptyofprospect,butthatanunweariedindustrywillgoagreatwaytodeliverusfromit,willintimeraisethemeanestcreaturetoappearagaintheworld,andgivehimanewcaseforhislife.

Thereareafewoftheseriousinferenceswhichweareledbythehandtointhisbook,andthesearefullysufficienttojustifyanymaninrecommendingittotheworld,andmuchmoretojustifythepublicationofit.

Therearetwoofthemostbeautifulpartsstillbehind,whichthisstorygivessomeideaof,andletsusintothepartsofthem,buttheyareeitherofthemtoolongtobebroughtintothesamevolume,andindeedare,asImaycallthem,wholevolumesofthemselves,viz.:

1.Thelifeofhergoverness,asshecallsher,whohadrunthrough,itseems,inafewyears,alltheeminentdegreesofagentlewoman,awhore,andabawd;amidwifeandamidwife-keeper,astheyarecalled;apawnbroker,achildtaker,areceiverofthieves,andofthieves'purchase,thatistosay,ofstolengoods;andinaword,herselfathief,abreederupofthievesandthelike,andyetatlastapenitent.

Thesecondisthelifeofhertransportedhusband,ahighwayman,whoitseems,livedatwelveyears'lifeofsuccessfulvillainyupontheroad,andevenatlastcameoffsowellastobeavolunteertransport,notaconvict;andinwhoselifethereisanincrediblevariety.

But,asIhavesaid,thesearethingstoolongtobringinhere,soneithercanImakeapromiseofthecomingoutbythemselves.

Wecannotsay,indeed,thatthishistoryiscarriedonquitetotheendofthelifeofthisfamousMollFlanders,asshecallsherself,fornobodycanwritetheirownlifetothefullendofit,unlesstheycanwriteitaftertheyaredead.Butherhusband'slife,beingwrittenbyathirdhand,givesafullaccountofthemboth,howlongtheylivedtogetherinthatcountry,andhowtheybothcametoEnglandagain,afterabouteightyears,inwhichtimetheyweregrownveryrich,andwhereshelived,itseems,tobeveryold,butwasnotsoextraordinaryapenitentasshewasatfirst;itseemsonlythatindeedshealwaysspokewithabhorrenceofherformerlife,andofeverypartofit.

Inherlastscene,atMarylandandVirginia,manypleasantthingshappened,whichmakesthatpartofherlifeveryagreeable,buttheyarenottoldwiththesameelegancyasthoseaccountedforbyherself;soitisstilltothemoreadvantagethatwebreakoffhere.

Part2

MollFlanders

MytruenameissowellknownintherecordsorregistersatNewgate,andinth