_What others writ, was ta’en upon the Score; Thou art in _Re_, what they but _feign’d_ before. They did but _lisp, or worse_, speak through the Nose: Thou hast pronounc’t, and liv’st in _Verse_ and _Prose_. _Guzman_, _Lazaro_, _Buscon_, and _Francion_, Till thou appear’dst did shine as at high Noon. Thy Book’s now extant; those that Judge of Wit, Say, They and _Rablais_ too fall short of it. How could’t be otherwise, since ’twas thy fate, To _practise_ what they did but _imitate_. We stand amaz’d at thy _Ephesian Fire_; Such _purchas’d Infamy_ all must admire._
_What more _Rogues still_? I thought our happy Times Were freed from such, as from _Rebellious Crimes_. But such will be: i’ th’ best of _Times_ we find The _worst of men_; the _Law_ can’t _lawless_ bind. It might be so, since Nature thought it fit To give some nought but _Lands_, to others _Wit_ But no _Estates_, bestowing such a mind That can’t within due _limits_ be confin’d. Hence _Depredations_, _Thefts_, nay worser facts, _Cheating_ & _Whoring_, with unheard-of acts: For _Swimming_ for their _Lives_, these _misrules_ think, ’Tis better _catch_ at any thing, then _sink_. Such was this _Rogue_, esteem’d the worst of men; Liv’d by his _Sword_, his _Pregnant Wit_, and _Pen_. In short, Pray pardon if I speak amiss; I never read so arch a _Rogue_ as _This_._
When this piece was first published it was ushered into the World with the usual ceremony of a Preface, and that a large one, whereby the Authour intended and endeavoured to possess the Reader with a belief, that what was written was the Life of a _Witty Extravagant_, the Authours Friend and Acquaintance. This was the intent of the Writer, but the Readers could not be drawn to this belief, but in general concurred in this opinion, that it was the Life of the Authour, and notwithstanding all that hath been said to the contrary many still continue in this opinion. Indeed the whole story is so genuine and naturally described without any forcing or Romancing that all contained in it seems to be naturally true, and so i’le assure you it is, but not acted by any one single person, much less by the Authour, who is well known to be of an inclination much different from the foul debaucheries of the Relations, & if the Readers had read the _Spanish_ Rogue, _Gusman_; the _French_ Rogue, _Francion_; and several other by Forraign Wits, and have upon examination found that the Authors were persons of great eminency and honour, and that no part of their own writings were their own lives; they had happily changed their opinion of the Authour of this; but they holding this opinion caused him to desist from prosecuting his story in a Second Part, and he having laid down the Cudgels I took them up, and my design in so doing was out of three considerations, the first and chiefest was to gain ready money, the second I had an itch to gain some Reputation by being in Print, and thereby revenge my self on some who had abused me, and whose actions I recited, and the third was to advantage the Reader and make him a gainer by acquainting him with my experiences. This were the reasons for my engaging in the Second part, and the very same reason induced me to joyn with the Authour in composing and Writing a third and fourth Part, in which we have club’d so equally, and intermixt our stories so joyntly, that it is some difficulty for any at first sight to distinguish what we particularly Writ and now having concluded the Preface, which should never have been begun but that I had a blank page, and was unwilling to be so ill a husband for you, but that you should have all possible content for your money, and withal to tell you that I would not have you as yet to expect any more parts of the book, for although a fifth and last part is design’d, yet i’le assure you there is never a stitch amiss, nor one line Written of it, and if you desire that, you must give me encouragement by your speedy purchasing of what is already Written; and thereby you will ingage