The Epistle DEDICATORY TO THE BOOK-SELLERS OF LONDON.

Gentlemen,

It hath been one of the greatest Errors in most Authors to think by their high Dedications to advance their Books, when as on the contrary, I have known some of the better sort of Books (though Dedicated to Worshipful, Honorable, Illustrious, and Reverend Patrons; nay and sometimes to Majesty it self) instead of being preferred in Book-sellers shops (and according to their merit bound in Turky or Murrey Leather gilt, and richly adorned) only to be found in loose iisheets at Cooks and Tobacco-shops, disposed under greasie Pies, to stop Mustard-pots, and to wrap up Mundungoes Tobacco, or at best (after more cost than was intended by the Author in damasking and figuring it) used in Truncks and Hat-cases: and all this hath happened because there was not a fit choice of a power full Book-seller, which out of profit and interest might prefer and advance the same.

Now that I might not run into the same Error, and have the like misfortune, being very well acquainted how much prejudice or profit I may receive in your stifling and slighting, or preferring and advancing this Piece, and I (being desirous that it should sell, for to that end in part was it written and Printed) therefore make choice of you for my Patrons and Protectors.

Gentlemen, I hope what hath been particularly written in this Book of your Trade, will not be offensive to you in general, neither that any particular Person will be offended, unless such as are guilty; and for their sakes it was written, that they may see their vicious enormities, and amend them.

Though all these misdemeanors are charged upon the score of one man, as being acted by one; yet i’le assure you I know not any one person guilty of all, though it is possible that iiithey are all true, or else our Extravagant (who recounts his story) gives misinformation: and I for my own part have so much Charity to believe, that there are several of your Trade honest-men, and not at all guilty of any thing here Charged on our Extravagants Master: To those I suppose, I rather do a kindness than a prejudice in unfolding the Mysterious Knaveries of the Trade, and in requital I hope they will be my Protectors, in preferring this Piece, not only to their Customers in London, but to their Chapmen in the Countrey, and thereby save me the trouble of it: And as for those who being conscious of their own guilt, are offended with what is here written, and out of revenge will refuse to protect or sell this Piece, I am well enough satisfied, and by their refusal or slighting, both I and the Book-buyer shall by their anger conclude their guilt.

And Gentlemen, it is very well known to you, that the first part of this book hath (notwithstanding many oppositions) done its business, being generally liked and approved of; and I am told (by the ingenious) that this will not come short of the former in pleasure, and exceed it in profit: and therefore I doubt not of the sale, and I hope it will be so far from staining your Reputations, that on the contrary, you may reap credit; besides, as you ivmay gain credit, so you will have profit by the sale, and that I know will be a very great inducement to you.

For both which causes I hope you will not refuse me your assistance, which I know may be powerful; and I shall for the future discourse your civilities, and at present subscribe myself

The Preface to the Reader.

GENTLEMEN,

The First Part of this Book being so generally well received, I was induced to procure it to be prosecuted in a second; and to that end I often solicited the Author to proceed according to his promise; but he was deterred for several reasons, the most prevalent whereof he told me was this, That he had reaped a great deal of ignominy by writing of that; for many people were so ignorant, as to believe that it was a true and exact account of the Authors life; especially after they had upon acquaintance or inquiry found that he was indeed guilty of some petty waggeries which are therein recited; and therefore concluding him guilty of the whole, lookt on him as a dangerous person, and shunned and avoided his company, lest they should be damaged thereby, or at leastwise scandalized; others gazing on him at a distance with the eyes of wonder.

Now let me tell you that though I was viwholly a stranger to the Author, when he writ that Book, yet I have been since so well acquainted with him, that I can directly clear him from the guilt of most of those enormities contained therein. For in the first place, it is sufficiently known to me, and many persons more, that he was never upon the Padd: for I am confident he was never guilty of so base a valour, as either to Rob a house, or bid a man stand on the Road. Next as to the Cheats, especially those in Gaming; though he professes so much knowledge therein, in his Book; yet I am sure of this, (let him be never so well acquainted in the Theory) that he is ignorant in the practical part thereof, having been the cheated, not the Cheater, of a good round sum of mony, which he lost at Dice in my presence, and to my prejudice; and I believe, that although (what he did write in the first part of the Book, Chapter 25. about his loss at Dice;) that might be in jest, yet now he might say in earnest. The Lines are these,

He being clear of these two crimes, Thieving and Cheating (which are the most Capital,) I know not why he should be avoided for any other, though we suppose him guilty of many female frauds, his inclination leading him to be a lover (though Mercurial and unconstant) of the Female sex; with whom I suppose he may have acted some of the adventures by him recited, and those passages, with what others he thought or heard of: and whereof many persons in this our age are guilty, he having methodiz’d, is the main part of his Book; and the intent of his writing, it was to shew the deformity of vice, that every one might shun it. The two lines which he placed on the Title page of many of his Books, sufficiently demonstrating the Authors intent. The words are these,

Thus, although the intent of his writing was good, and the effects proved answerable in the sale of the Book, yet could I not procure him to proceed, though I offered him my assistance, in acquainting him with my experience; but all viiiwould not do: Wherefore I applyed my self to another, a brother of the same trade; a professed Author, and one who hath been happy enough in the sale of many of his writings; him I courted into a complyance with my desire, and perswaded to begin to write somewhat to the purpose; I proposing only to him to give an account of the knavery of many trades and professions. I gave him my best instructions, and laid my ground-work well enough, as I hoped to have him proceed: But so soon as he knew my intention of making his writing a part of (by joyning it to) The Rogue, with some anger he left it, and refused to proceed.

He having thus laid down the Cudgels, I then took them up my self, and those loose scribled papers which I had written for his instruction to proceed upon, I viewed over, and after some small correction they serve for the greatest part of this Treatise.

In what I have written; I begin first with my self (as we all ought to do when we intend to amend,) and give an account of the greatest Knaveries which I know, or can at present call to mind, there are or have been committed in two trades; the one a Scrivener, in which I was bred, and the other a Book-seller, in which I ixhave been now above twelve years, on and off, a professed Practitioner. When I was a child I was intended to be a Church-man in profession, as well as name; but the time proving unhappy, and no encouragement for that profession, and my Father aiming at some imployment that might be profitable, and knowing the trade of a Scrivener to be so, was for that cause enduced to place me with a Master of that quality, (though my inclination led me rather to the Book-selling Employ.) Being thus placed out, I not only endeavoured to learn my calling; but also at all spare times plyed my Book; and though I had a very great employment under my Master, yet I made a shift not only to read much, and learn the French and other Languages, but to write

somewhat for the Press. And now I am speaking of my Master (in regard in part of this Book, I give an account of the Knaveries of the Scriveners trade) it will be convenient to say somewhat to clear him from any guilt therein, or else it may be supposed that I mean him: But they that think so are much mistaken, for he then was, and still is a solid, honest, sober Citizen; and not in the least as I know of, guilty xof any misdemeanour in his practice: and it was my folly, and not his fault to leave him: for after about five years service with him, I went to another, and from thence forward it was that I gained the first experience of the Knavery of that profession; and since then, not only by keeping company with some of them, but also by my own experience and practice, (though not as the Cheater, but Cheated,) I can truly write a Probatum est to what I have written of that Profession, and if occasion were, give a Clavis or Key, to discover most, if not all of those several pieces of Knavery I have here discoursed of: And thus much for the Scrivener.

And as for the Book-sellers trade, my inclination leading me to it very much, I did about twelve years ago publickly profess it, in keeping a Shop, wherein I used as well the Bookselling, as the Scriveners quality; but having knaves to deal with, of whom I bought some part of my ware, I soon left off the Bookselling trade, only keeping to the other; in which I sufficiently profited my self; And I defie all the world to charge me with any Knavery in the whole course of my practice; which during the time of great xibuildings at the East part of London, (where I dwelt) I gained much; but that ceasing, and the tide of employment ebbing at the East part, I thought it would be convenient to remove West-ward, especially, his Majesty being then happily and gloriously returned, and fixed at that end of the Town. And therefore taking a house and shop, that I might have two strings to my Bow, I again professed both Trades, of a Scrivener and Bookseller. I now thought my self wise enough to deal with the Booksellers; but I soon found my self deceived, to my cost, for I was drawn in

by some of that profession to be concern’d in printing of Play-books; in which, I having skill, and much affection to the matter, willingly engaged. I, for my part, only printed three, which were my own proper Copies; and they, (though I dissuaded them there-from) made choice of the best Playes then extant; though the Copies were other mens, I thought this criminal, but they made a tush at it.

The owner of the Copies hearing of this wrong done to them, gained a Warrant to seize them: My Partners secured theirs, and one of them had so much cunning Knavery as to come to me, and sell me his share, and within a day or xiitwo after delivery, directed the Officers (who had warrant to seize) to my house, where they at once took from me 1400 Play-books; the value whereof is easily computed to be considerable.

This happening in time of much business (for my Mother was then lately dead, and my Father dying) I could not look after the recovery of my books, which I heard were divided, and I never to this day had satisfaction of one or other. My Father soon after dying, and leaving me a plentifull estate, I resolved to quit all Trading in general, retire into the Country, and lead a Contemplative life; (for indeed I never had a love for any Trade, hating the business in general, and only used them for a livelyhood). I having thus given out, had several offers from Book-sellers to buy my books (which were of a considerable value, being valued at some hundreds of pounds;) He who had so lately Cheated me, did amongst others desire to havè them, and did ingeniously confess the trick he had lately put upon me: and this his ingenious confession he made as an argument for me to trust him with the rest of my Books: Though I should have made this use of his confession, not to deal xiiiwith him further, yet he promising all honesty for the future, I again agreed to trust him with

my whole Stock, and thereby did I agree to cheat my self; for though it was his fault to cheat me the first time, yet now it was only mine, to let him do it after so fair a knowledge as he did; for though he lived some years after that, yet I could never get any considerable returns for my Stock of Books, and he in the late great Contagion dying, was considerably indebted to me, and I hoping to get what he owed me, ventured to possess my self of his Estate, and pay several Debts which he owed to others: but they proved so many, and his Estate so small, that I was worse than I was before; and this gave me so sensible a squeeze that I yet am sensible of.

And this is the only occasion that hath again made me engage my self in the Book-selling employment: which although I have now used above twelve years, and in that time laid out several hundreds of pounds in Printing, yet I was never engaged in printing any Book that was another mans Propriety, except when I was drawn in by the three Booksellers, and as I have already told you, and which was so much to my loss: And as for my Trading in the Scriveners employment, xivwhere it is usual for most of that Trade to keep the best bargains of Lands and Houses for themselves, and put off the worst to their Customers, I have not done so, but it hath been my unhappiness to have the worst bargains of houses of any, which I still keep: and though they did cost me many hundreds of pounds, yet they are rather a trouble, than any addition to the rest of my estate. And if I was ever guilty of dealing hardly with, or griping any of my Clients when I was a publick practitioner, (as I cannot remember any such action,) I am sure I have been (since I left the publick Profession of a

Scrivener) worse served by some of that quality, with whom I have had some particular dealing.

I have given you this account of my transactions, to acquaint you how Roguishly I have been dealt with, and that I am (and must needs be, out of all these experiences) able to give you a considerable account of the greatest Knaveries and Cheats of these two Trades. And what hath cost me so dear, I here (for publick good) present to you for a small price; for I’le assure you, I have oftentimes had a Fee given me for my Advice in one of these many Cases were opened by the Scrivener, and that part of this Book (if xvwell considered and understood) may and will be of very great use and consequence to any person who hath any converse in the world. Besides the Knaveries and Cheats of these two Trades, you have those of several others, as a Barber-chyrurgeon, a Tapster, a Cook, a Lock-smith, Taylor, Baker, Plaisterer, Drugster, and many others; and in pourtraying of them I have not affected words but matter, I have written as I would have spoken, and as much in little as possibly I could. Here is that which (I hope) will please all humours, both the frollick and the serious, nay

some of the factious too will buy this Part as well as the first; and to make that out, I’le tell you a late, but true story.

The Author of the first Part being with a Friend at an Ale-house, drinking at a publick fire (there being also at the same time two Crop-ear’d fellows) he accidentally was talking about the Book, and relating to his Friend the trouble he under-went at the first publishing thereof, by reason it was not then licensed. Yes, said his Friend, I remember that some of the Clergy were very much offended, and you as well as the Printers, were like to have suffered Imprisonment. Why, what was the matter; said one of these fellows, what were the Bishops troubled at it? Yes, said xvithe Author, I was forced to absent my self for some dayes, till the heat of the matter was over: having said thus, he left the room at present, and the two men taking the opportunity of his absence, enquired of his Friend what he was, and what was the reason of the Bishops anger? To this his Friend replyed, that the Author was a very honest man, (which they in their terms interpret Fanatick) and that all the reason of the trouble was, because it was not Licensed. Well,

said one of them, can he help me to some of them? Yes, said his Friend: and by this time the Author being returned, he was acquainted by his Friend with the request of the two strangers, and they likewise again desiring of it, he furnished them at present with a dozen, for which he had a greater price than usual, and then they desired to have more to give to their friends, thinking to have found some Fanatick Doctrine: so eager are these sort of people to buy any thing that is unlicensed, following the Proverb, that stolen meat is sweetest: But I believe they were not very well pleased when they, or their Fanatick brethren (to whom they presented them) had perused them: but it is possible that (though they were mistaken in the main) yet they might be well enough pleased in the private reading, and that as in a xviiLooking-glass they might see some of those crimes lively represented, whereof they had been guilty.

Thus I say this Book hath been bought up by all sorts of people, and I my self at the first publishing the first Part, presented one of them to an Acquaintance of mine, who (I believe) had been knavish enough, and a Preacher of several perswasions, he read it over, and at my next sight of him I asked him his opinion of it? Truly, said he, there are many various Cheats and Rogueries, but if the Author had my experience and practice, he might write a Book ten times bigger, and more full of brave Cheats, and considerable Rogueries, things worth attempting, whereas these are but foolish and idle, and for the most part unprofitable. I who was partly acquainted with many passages of his life, knew he spake true then, and have here in this second Part had a touch at him, but far short of what I know of him, it not being convenient to tell truth at all times. I have likewise met with several other adventurers and transactions in the world, where I (through the frankness and easiness of my nature) have still come off the abused party; part of which I have here sprinkled up and down, and

the rest I reserve till more time and conveniency to publish among other things in a third Part. xviiiAnd this Book though (by reason of the extraordinariness of some passages) it may seem a Romance, yet I’le assure ye there is nothing but the truth, naked as she ought to be, in plain colours; for like the first Draught of a Painter, I have only laid on the dead colours without any flourishes, varnishes, or adornments; and though that be the first, yet it is commonly the greatest piece of Art, and seldom mended or altered, but spoiled: and so in my writing of this, I have not varied in any thing from my first thoughts, which have been swift and full of matter, and therefore need not in so plain a case any embellishments, so that here you shall hardly meet with a piece of Poetry, and that which is, is just to the matter, not sorted or strained, but natural and free; neither have I borrowed any Sentences out of any Authors, to embellish and add lustre to my writing: what I have done, (and that is but little) I will tell you of.