Moll FlandersI摩尔弗兰德斯英文版文档格式.docx

Moll FlandersI摩尔弗兰德斯英文版文档格式.docx

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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