[From Buck Whaley's Memoirs]

NOTICE.

I AM apprehensive that I shall be accused both of presumption and singularity in thus obtruding myself on the notice of my friends and the public ; therefore think it expedient to detail the motives that influenced my determination.

Having during my solitary retirement often revolved in my mind the various scenes of life, in which I have been either a principal actor or merely a spectator ; and having always had within myself a secret friend and monitor, who persuaded me to make observations, to draw conclusions and to hoard up for riper years the lessons of experience ; I thought that a faithful picture of my youthful eccentricities, drawn with justice and impartiality, would not be unacceptable to my countrymen, and particularly to my younger friends, who will find some few examples which they may follow with advantage, but many more which they ought to avoid.

The energetic and sophistical Rousseau, the ingenious and excellent Lavater, the sublime and elegant Gibbon, have given instances and served as models for such publications: why should I not presume in my humble way to follow their steps and lay in my claim to immortality ? It must be confessed that their pursuits in life have been quite different ; they have exhibited to the Philosopher, the Legislator, the Man of Letters many striking traits of originality. Some of them have led astray many a young man, many a good Christian, from the path of religion into the comfortless labyrinth of irreligion and infidelity.

Disclaiming all such pretensions, I shall simply give a sketch of my actions and pursuits : I shall unfold the deepest recesses of my heart and unmask the various arts and stratagems that are used to mislead young men of great expectations, and to ruin their health, morals and fortunes.

The notes I have made and the various journals I have kept of my voyages, that of Jerusalem in particular, enable me likewise to intersperse my narrative with much instructive matter and entertaining anecdotes ; many of which, though more ably communicated by eminent writers, yet have some novelty from the different manner in which I may have viewed and considered them.

The imprisonment and death of the unfortunate Lewis the Sixteenth, and the boldness with which, from my eagerness to see and observe every thing, I approached some of the most formidable and atrocious characters, distinguished in that incomprehensible and ever to be lamented Revolution, enable me also to throw some light on that land of darkness and to discover some of the secret springs used to lead, under the seducing smiles of liberty, a good and loyal people into all the excesses of savage barbarity. Whatever I have seen and observed I shall faithfully detail, without presuming or attempting to misguide the reader; claiming, as a reward of my sincerity, that indulgence which candour and impartiality , are always sure 'to obtain.

Should but one young man learn from these sheets some useful lesson, and stop in the career of folly and dissipation ; or one of my indulgent friends be induced to believe that my extraordinary levities proceeded, not from a corrupted heart, but an eccentric and exalted imagination and ridiculous pretensions to notoriety, I shall think myself amply repaid for having attempted this publication.