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SINCE the first Publishing of this Treatise, it has been no small dispute amongst those who pre∣tend to be the most competent Judges of a matter of this nature, whether the Author's intention had been to give us a true Hi∣story, or a piece participating both of the nature of a Novel and a History; espe∣cially, since the Bookseller of Cologn, unto whom the Copy was first transmit∣ted, has either not thought fit, or not been able to give any satisfactory Account
upon this head. The best way I can propose to the Reader for the deciding of this Question, will be, to have recourse to the Book it self, and to endeavour to inform his own Judgment concerning the most remarkable head it contains, of which many are of such a nature, as cannot be long concealed to the World, there being so many living Witnesses in England, Germany, France and Holland, who are unquestionable Judges, either of the Falsity or Truth of those matters.
Thus much is agreed on all hands, that his Relation is sincere in what re∣lates to his own Affairs, even to his Personal Infirmities, of which he gives a most particular Account without the least disguise; but some of the Wiser sort have made this Observation, that his Judgment is often misguided by Passion, or fondness of entering upon digressions, when he speaks of others, though Persons of an eminent Rank,
an instance of which may be given in some certain Passages relating to the late D. of Sh . . . . . . which are of such a nature, as to be contradictory to what the greatest part of Europe was convinc'd of in relation to his constant Zeal for the Protestant Re∣ligion he always profess'd from his In∣fancy.
'Tis agreed of by most, that if the Relation he gives us in the Qua∣lity of a Spy, be genuine, (as by its Character it seems to be so) nothing could be more natural, or proficious; for never any Spy in the World be∣fore him, took so much pains to un∣mask himself, and to represent his Pro∣fession in its true, natural, ugly shape, and the Reward that commonly is be∣stowed upon those who follow this Trade. Upon this occasion I cann't for∣bear to take notice how, within these few Years, foreign Generals have been represented upon the Stage in a neigh∣bouring
Nations (where they pretend to a particular privilege of ridiculing all the World besides themselves) gi∣ving a Crown-piece to a Spy for his se∣cret services. I am apt to believe, the Author of these Memoirs would have been well satisfied, if they had given him no worse Reward, for having sacrificed both his Honour and Estate for their Interest: A convincing instance, that some Princes stand of∣tentimes more indebted to their propi∣tious Stars, than to the Rewards they bestow upon those that serve them. Some who pretend to be acquainted withour Author's Person, have this Ob∣servation, that being of very low Stature, very hard favour'd in his Physiognomy, very lean, and besides this, disfigured by a wound in his Face, they cannot conceive what should make the La∣dies so fond of his Person, as to be Debauch'd by, or Married to a Per∣son that made such an indifferent
Figure; or Princes to be so taken with him, as to bestow these Prefer∣ments upon an unknown Person. This might be easiely answered, if it be granted that his Deserts and agree∣able Conversation did make amends for the defects of his Body; but that some among the Criticks have observ∣ed more indiscretion in his Writings than they believe to be consistent with such a Character, unless it be alledg∣ed in his behalf, that the irksome∣ness of so long an Imprisonment might cause a change in his Temper.
But without insisting any further up∣on this point, even the nicest Criticks cannot refuse to acknowledge, that these Memoirs are full of agreeable and most pleasing turns, that great variety of Accidents so naturally and lively represented; his Actions in the quality of a Spy, and his Discoveris of what daily passes in the Bastile, are such
as must needs both delight and instruct the Reader, For the rest, as his Stile is more Natural than Learned, so what it wants in exactness, it makes up in its perspecuity, and ge∣nuine purity, and if he had been more careful in assigning the exact times of some things contained in this Relation, it would have been free from all obscurity, which seems to remain in some few passages, to those who will not take the pains to compare them in all their Cir∣cumstances.