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 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 buildings 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 two 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 with 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.