clxxxii LIFE OF 



" COURTEOUS READER, Without regarding after what manner the world 

 shall please to receive it, and at the hazard of increasing the number of ill 

 authors, I have undertaken to write a book ; which I have beea the rather 

 encouraged to do, by reason that so .many nowadays take upon them 

 that employment. The booksellers pay no excise that I know of : our 

 masters (blest be God) have not yet unbethought them of imposing a gable 

 upon that sort of commodity. I cannot, however, but confess it would 

 bring in a great revenue; and 'tis pity the officers of excise should lose so 

 fair an opportunity of filling his majesty's coffers (or rather their own). 

 For the number of ill writers is much greater than any man would 

 imagine, and certainly a penny a quire for all the trumpery the press sends 

 out in a year, would amount to a pretty matter. But possibly they are 

 afraid these pretenders to wit should rise in rebellion, and nobody is willing 

 to draw upon himself a whole library of invectives. But be it how it will, 

 I found myself in the humour, and at leisure to play the fool a little as 

 well as others ; I had nothing else to do, and thought it was better to spoil 

 a little paper at home in my chamber, than to wear out my shoes in 

 walking the streets to no purpose. 



" In this, my first and principal design was to divert myself ; my next 

 (dear Reader) to please thee, in saying here and there some things, that I 

 thought were pleasant and rational enough. If thou likest it, I have my 

 end, and demand nothing of thee in return, but that thou wilt confess it ; 

 which I shall hear of by somebody or another : only I think fit to give 

 thee this Advertisement, that it is really a true history, excepting that 

 part of the Sultaness her escape, with that of Don Pedro and Isabella 

 Albirond only getting off clear in the truth of the story ; and therefore do 

 not look upon it as a mere piece of invention, for it is no such thing. 



' Fu quel ch' io dico, e non v'aggiungo un pelo ; 

 lo '1 vidi, Io '1 so.' 



" It is not so long since this happened neither, that we can reckon by 

 anything but the months ; and therefore has at least the grace of novelty, 

 which no one can deny it. If I would have taken the liberty of the 

 romance writers, who make what adventures they please, and carry them 

 on at the extravagant rate of their own fancy, I could peradventure have 

 made this more modish, and much fuller of affairs and intrigues. A few 

 hours' meditation would have done that, but for once I paint by the life, 

 and not by invention. The aforesaid gentlemen raise their fabulous stories 

 to such a degree of surprise, or impossibility indeed, that they seem some- 

 times to drop out of the clouds : but in the meantime, truth is doubtless 

 that which best pleases in a narrative. If thou art of this opinion, thou 

 wilt take more pleasure in reading such a piece of gallantry as this, which 

 has really come to pass, than one of those celebrated fables, that has hardly 

 ever entered into more than one man's imagination. 



" What there is more of rare in this is, that never any bagatelle of love 

 came out of Barbary till now. The pirates of Tunis and Algier do not 

 much intrigue themselves in gallantry ; but another sort of pirate is here 

 come under the standard of love, to carry away from these barbarians the 

 greatest beauty their nation ever had : whether or no it be lawful prize, do 

 thou (friendly Reader) judge ; and if it prove otherwise, arraign him rather 

 than me. I have followed the Mesmoires that were delivered to me, to 



