THE 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE/ 



LET who will say what they please against Prefaces, for 

 my part I always read them with Profit. To deprive 

 one's self of so necessary a Thing, is to leave off a good 

 fashion at the peril of Eeasou and Instrnction ; He that 

 exposes a Work to the Multitude, brings himself into such 

 great Danger, let his Design be ever so just, and the execu- 

 tion of it ever so perfect, that in Prudence he ought to 

 neglect nothing to prepare the minds of his Ptcaders, and 

 prevent the ill-effects of Ignorance and Malice ; But if the 

 Author do's this for his own Advantage, the Picaders also in 

 my Opinion benefit by it ; for by this he smooths the way 

 for them. He enlightens them, and makes several things 

 easy, in which otherwise they would find a great deal of 

 Difficulty. Be it as it will, I beg the favour of you, 

 courteous and just Reader, to suffer me to Discourse with 

 you a little before you turn to the Ptelation of my Adven- 

 tures, which I am about to present to you. 



When the Companions of my Fortune and my self em- 

 bark'd aboard our Ship the " Sivalloiv" at Amsterdam, 

 abundance of our Friends attended us to the Water-side, 

 and when they took their leave of us, they cry'd as long as 

 they could see us ; " Pray let us hear from you, send us all 

 the News you ean, and fill your Letters with the particular 

 Circiu.istances of your Adventures." From that very Minute 



1 According to M. Eyries, the actual editor and author of Leguat's 

 narrative was an ex-Benedictine monk named Gabillon. .S' e note, 

 p. Ixxxviii, and introductioDo 



