The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen Page 2

  PREFACE

  TO

  THE FIRST EDITION

  Baron Munnikhouson or Munchausen, of Bodenweder, near Hamelyn on theWeser, belongs to the noble family of that name, which gave to theKing's German dominions the late prime minister and several other publiccharacters equally bright and illustrious. He is a man of great originalhumour; and having found that prejudiced minds cannot be reasoned intocommon sense, and that bold assertors are very apt to bully and speaktheir audience out of it, he never argues with either of them, butadroitly turns the conversation upon indifferent topics and then tellsa story of his travels, campaigns, and sporting adventures, in a mannerpeculiar to himself, and well calculated to awaken and shame the commonsense of those who have lost sight of it by prejudice or habit.

  As this method has been often attended with good success, we beg leaveto lay some of his stories before the public, and humbly requestthose who shall find them rather extravagant and bordering upon themarvellous, which will require but a very moderate share of commonsense, to exercise the same upon every occurrence of life, and chieflyupon our English politics, in which _old habits_ and _bold assertions_,set off by eloquent speeches and supported by constitutional mobs,associations, volunteers, and foreign influence, have of late, weapprehend, but too successfully turned our brains, and made us thelaughing-stock of Europe, and of France and Holland in particular.

  TO THE PUBLIC

  Having heard, for the first time, that my adventures have been doubted,and looked upon as jokes, I feel bound to come forward and vindicate mycharacter _for veracity_, by paying three shillings at the Mansion Houseof this great city for the affidavits hereto appended.

  This I have been forced into in regard of my own honour, although I haveretired for many years from public and private life; and I hope thatthis, my last edition, will place me in a proper light with my readers.

  AT THE CITY OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

  _We_, the undersigned, as true believers in the _profit_, do mostsolemnly affirm, that all the adventures of our friend Baron Munchausen,in whatever country they may _lie_, are positive and simple facts._And_, as we have been believed, whose adventures are tenfold morewonderful, _so_ do we hope all true believers will give him their fullfaith and credence. GULLIVER. x SINBAD. x ALADDIN. x _Sworn at theMansion House 9th Nov. last, in the absence of the Lord Mayor._ JOHN(_the Porter_).

  TRAVELS OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN