AtrulysingularmanwasthissameColonelB-，ofLondonderryinIreland；apersonageofmoststrangeandincrediblefeatsanddaring，whohadbeenapartizansoldier，abravo-who，assistedbycertaindiscontentedtroopers，nearlysucceededinstealingthecrownandregaliafromtheTowerofLondon；whoattemptedtohangtheDukeofOrmondatTyburn；andwhosestrange，eventfulcareerdidnotterminateevenwithhislife，hisdeadbody，onthecirculationofanunfoundedreportthathedidnotcometohisdeathbyfairmeans，havingbeenexhumedbythemobofhisnativeplace，wherehehadretiredtodie，andcarriedinthecoffinthroughthestreets。

　　OfhislifeIhadinsertedanaccountintheNEWGATELIVESAND

　　TRIALS；itwasbareandmeagre，andwritteninthestiff，awkwardstyleoftheseventeenthcentury；ithad，however，stronglycaptivatedmyimagination，andInowthoughtthatoutofitsomethingbettercouldbemade；that，ifIaddedtotheadventures，andpurifiedthestyle，Imightfashionoutofitaverydecenttaleornovel。Onasudden，however，theproverbofmendingoldgarmentswithnewclothoccurredtome。’Iamafraid，’saidI，’anynewadventureswhichIcaninventwillnotfadgewellwiththeoldtale；onewillbutspoiltheother。’IhadbetterhavenothingtodowithColonelB-，thoughtI，butboldlyandindependentlysitdownandwritethelifeofJosephSell。

　　ThisJosephSell，dearreader，wasafictitiouspersonagewhohadjustcomeintomyhead。Ihadneverevenheardofthename，butjustatthatmomentithappenedtocomeintomyhead；Iwouldwriteanentirelyfictitiousnarrative，calledtheLIFEANDADVENTURESOF

　　JOSEPHSELL，thegreattraveller。

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