Containing his more private Conduct, down to the present Times: His
Government, his Appearances, his manner of Working, and the Tools
he works with.
_Bad as he is, the Devil may be abus'd,_
_Be falsly charg'd, and causelesly accus'd,_
_When Men, unwilling to be blam'd alone,_
_Shift off these Crimes on Him which are their Own._
The SECOND EDITION.
_LONDON:_
Printed for T. WARNER, at the _Black Boy_ in
_Pater-noster Row_. 1727.
The PREFACE
TO THE
SECOND EDITION.
_This Second Edition of this Work, notwithstanding a large Impression of
the First, is a Certificate from the World of its general Acceptation;
so we need not, according to the Custom of Editors, boast of it without
Evidence, or tell a F----b in its Favour._
_The Subject is singular, and it has been handled after a singular
Manner: The wise World has been pleased with it, the merry World has
been diverted with it, and the ignorant World has been taught by it;
none but the malicious part of the World has been offended at it: Who
can wonder, that when the_ Devil _is not pleased,_ his Friends should be
angry?
_The strangest thing of it all is, to hear_ Satan _complain that the
Story is handled prophanely: But who can think it strange that his
Advocates should_ BE, what he was from the Beginning?
_The Author affirms, and has good Vouchers for it (in the Opinion of
such whose Judgment passes with him for an Authority) that the whole
Tenor of the Work is solemn, calculated to promote serious Religion, and
capable of being improv'd in a religious manner. But he does not think
that we are bound never to speak of the_ Devil _but with an Air of
Terror, as if we were always afraid of him._
_'Tis evident the_ Devil, _as subtle and as frightful as he is, has
acted the ridiculous and foolish Part, as much as most of God's
Creatures, and daily does so. And he cannot believe 'tis any Sin to
expose him for a foolish_ Devil, _as he is, or shew the World that he
may be laugh'd at._
_Those that think the Subject not handled with Gravity enough, have all
the Room given them in the World to handle it better; and as the Author
professes he is far from thinking his Piece perfect, they ought not to
be angry that_ he gives them leave to mend it. _He has had the
Satisfaction to please some Readers, and to see good Men approve it; and
for the rest, as my Lord_ Rochester _says in another Case,_
He counts their Censure Fame.
_As for a certain Reverend Gentleman, who is pleased gravely to dislike
the Work_ (_he hopes, rather for the Author's sake than the_ Devil's)
_he only says,_ Let the Performance be how it will, and the Author what
he will, it is apparent he has not yet preach'd away all his Hearers.
_It is enough to me (says the Author) that the_ Devil _himself is not
pleased with my Work, and less with the Design of it; let the_ Devil
_and all his fellow Complainers stand on one side, and the honest, well
meaning, charitable World, who approve my Work, on the other, and I'll
tell Noses with_ Satan, _if he dares._
THE CONTENTS.