AtrulysingularmanwasthissameColonelB-，ofLondonderryinIreland；apersonageofmoststrangeandincrediblefeatsanddaring，whohadbeenapartizansoldier，abravo-who，assistedbycertaindiscontentedtroopers，nearlysucceededinstealingthecrownandregaliafromtheTowerofLondon；whoattemptedtohangtheDukeofOrmondatTyburn；andwhosestrange，eventfulcareerdidnotterminateevenwithhislife，hisdeadbody，onthecirculationofanunfoundedreportthathedidnotcometohisdeathbyfairmeans，havingbeenexhumedbythemobofhisnativeplace，wherehehadretiredtodie，andcarriedinthecoffinthroughthestreets。
OfhislifeIhadinsertedanaccountintheNEWGATELIVESAND
TRIALS；itwasbareandmeagre，andwritteninthestiff，awkwardstyleoftheseventeenthcentury；ithad，however，stronglycaptivatedmyimagination，andInowthoughtthatoutofitsomethingbettercouldbemade；that，ifIaddedtotheadventures，andpurifiedthestyle，Imightfashionoutofitaverydecenttaleornovel。Onasudden，however，theproverbofmendingoldgarmentswithnewclothoccurredtome。’Iamafraid，’saidI，’anynewadventureswhichIcaninventwillnotfadgewellwiththeoldtale；onewillbutspoiltheother。’IhadbetterhavenothingtodowithColonelB-，thoughtI，butboldlyandindependentlysitdownandwritethelifeofJosephSell。
ThisJosephSell，dearreader，wasafictitiouspersonagewhohadjustcomeintomyhead。Ihadneverevenheardofthename，butjustatthatmomentithappenedtocomeintomyhead；Iwouldwriteanentirelyfictitiousnarrative，calledtheLIFEANDADVENTURESOF
JOSEPHSELL，thegreattraveller。