It is the province of biographical writers to embalm the memory of those who have been eminent, during their residence upon earth. But our present undertaking must be allowed to be much more difficult, as the memory of the person whose life is to be the subject of the following sheets, in all probability stinks already, though her carcase is not yet rotten.

            Our intention in conveying an account of her life, and adventures to posterity, is not to excite others to tread in her footsteps, though if it were, we might be justified by the maxims of the celebrated author of the Fable of the Bees, that private vices are public benefits; for sure no one ever contributed more to promote private vices than the irreverend matron who has lately paid the debt to nature. Our design is quite the reverse, we mean to represent vice in all its horror and deformity; that these who are engaged in vicious courses, may be disgusted by the representation, and to lay open all the snares of artful wickedness that the innocent and unwary may henceforward be upon their guard.

            It may perhaps be objected that the knowledge of vice is but a bad preservative of virtue, but every day's experience must convince us that many unhappy wretches are seduced from the ways of virtue merely through their ignorance of life, who had they been sufficiently informed of the wicked practices of women of the profession of her, whose memoirs we now present the public with, might have avoided all the infamy, disease and guilt which they were involved in merely by their ignorance. Mr Pope has justly observed that,

Vice is a monster of so frightful mien
As to be hated, needs but to be seen.

            And it shall be our endeavour to represent it in such colours as may inspire every reader with the utmost detestation of it. We shall therefore enter upon our narrative and through the whole course of it strictly adhere to truth.

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