The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part. Richard Head

       The Preface to the Reader.

       Table of Contents

      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 wholly 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,

       I thought my self secure, for I could top,

       By which I've forc’d some Citt’s to leave their shop.

       I palm’d, and put the change upon them too,

       I only studied how I might undo.

       But now I'm met with, 'tis but just I see,

       That he which others cheats should cheated be.

      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,

       Read, but don't practice: since the Author finds

       They which live honest, have most quiet minds.

      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 would 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 have 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 of 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