{"id":95,"date":"2021-09-29T11:00:19","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T15:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=95"},"modified":"2022-02-02T14:05:53","modified_gmt":"2022-02-02T19:05:53","slug":"to-the-reader","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/chapter\/to-the-reader\/","title":{"raw":"To the Reader","rendered":"To the Reader"},"content":{"raw":"<span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">An<\/span><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> invidious falsehood having appeared in the Oracle of the 25th, and the Star of the 27th of April 1792, with a view to hurt my character,<\/span><sup id=\"cite_ref-1\" class=\"reference\" style=\"text-align: initial\">[footnote]\"Speak of me as I am,\/\u00a0Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught\/\u00a0In malice.\"[\/footnote]<\/sup><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">\u00a0and to discredit and prevent the sale of my Narrative, asserting, that I was born in the Danish island of Santa Cruz, in the West Indies,<\/span><sup id=\"cite_ref-pdf11_2-0\" class=\"reference\" style=\"text-align: initial\">[footnote]I may now justly say,\/ \"There is a lust in man no charm can tame,\/ \"Of loundly publishing his heighbour's shame;\/ \"On eagles wings immortal scandals fly,\/ \"But virtuous actions are but born and die.\" London. The County Chronicle, and Weekly Advertiser for Essex, Herts, Kent, Surry, Middlesex, &amp;c. Tuesday, February 19th, 1788.\u2014Postscript.\"We are sorry the want of room prevents us from giving place to the favors of Gustavus Vassa on the Slave Trade. The zeal of this worthy African, in favour of his brethren, would do honour to any colour or to any cause.[\/footnote]<\/sup><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">\u00a0it is necessary that, in <\/span><span class=\"pagenum ws-pagenum\" id=\"iv\" data-page-number=\"iv\" data-page-name=\"Page:The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.pdf\/12\" data-page-index=\"12\" data-page-quality=\"3\" title=\"Page:The_Interesting_Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Olaudah_Equiano,_or_Gustavus_Vassa,_the_African.pdf\/12\" style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><\/span><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">this edition, I should take notice thereof, and it is only needful for me to appeal to those numerous and respectable persons of character who knew me when I first arrived in England, and could speak no language but that of Africa.<\/span><sup id=\"cite_ref-3\" class=\"reference\" style=\"text-align: initial\">[footnote]My friend Mrs. Baynes, formerly Miss Guerin, at Southampton, and many others of her friends. John Hill, Esq. Custom-house, Dublin. Admir [illegible] Admiral George Balfour, Portsmouth. Captain Gallia, Greenock. Mrs. Shaw, James-street, Covent Garden, London.[\/footnote]<\/sup>\r\n\r\nUnder this appeal, I now offer this edition of my Narrative to the candid reader, and to the friends of humanity, hoping it <span class=\"pagenum ws-pagenum\" id=\"v\" data-page-number=\"v\" data-page-name=\"Page:The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.pdf\/13\" data-page-index=\"13\" data-page-quality=\"3\" title=\"Page:The_Interesting_Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Olaudah_Equiano,_or_Gustavus_Vassa,_the_African.pdf\/13\"><\/span>may still be the means, in its measure, of showing the enormous cruelties practised on my sable brethren, and strengthening the generous emulation now prevailing in this country, to put a speedy end to a traffic both cruel and unjust.\r\n<div style=\"text-align: right;padding-top: 0em;margin-right: 0\">\r\n\r\n<i>Edinburgh, June 1792.<\/i>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n\r\nLETTER\r\n\r\nOF\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Alexander Tillock to John Monteith, Esq. Glasgow.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Dear Sir<\/span>,\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Your<\/span> note of the 30th ult. I would have answered in course; but wished first to be able to inform you what paper we had taked the article from which respected <span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Gustavus Vassa<\/span>. By this day's post, have sent you a copy of the Oracle of Wednesday the 25th \u2014 in the last column of the 3d page, you will find the article from which we <span class=\"pagenum ws-pagenum\" id=\"vi\" data-page-number=\"vi\" data-page-name=\"Page:The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.pdf\/14\" data-page-index=\"14\" data-page-quality=\"3\" title=\"Page:The_Interesting_Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Olaudah_Equiano,_or_Gustavus_Vassa,_the_African.pdf\/14\"><\/span>inserted the one in the Star of the 27th ult. \u2014 If it be erroneous, you will see it had not its origin with us. As to G. V. I know nothing about him.\r\n\r\nAfter examining the paragraph in the Oracle, which immediately follows the one in question, I am inclined to believe that the one respecting G. V. may have been fabricated by some of the advocates for continuing the Slave Trade, for the purpose of weakening he force of the evidence brought against that trade; for, I believe, if they could, hey would stifle the evidence altogether.\r\n\r\nHaving sent you the Oracle, we have sent all that we can say about the business. I am,\r\n<div style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Dear Sir<\/span>,\r\nYour most humble Servant,<\/div>\r\n<div style=\"text-align: right;padding-top: 0em;margin-right: 0\">\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Alex. Tilloch.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<i>Star Office, 5th May<\/i>, 1792.\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\r\n\r\nLETTER\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">From the Rev. Dr. J. Baker, or May Fair Chapel, London, to Mr. Gustavus Vassa, at David Dale's Esq. Glasgow.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Dear Sir<\/span>,\r\n\r\nI went after Mr. Millan (the printer of he Oracle), but he was not at home. I understood that an apology would be made to you, and I desired t might be a proper one, such as would give fair satisfaction, and take off any disadvantageous <span class=\"pagenum ws-pagenum\" id=\"vii\" data-page-number=\"vii\" data-page-name=\"Page:The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.pdf\/15\" data-page-index=\"15\" data-page-quality=\"3\" title=\"Page:The_Interesting_Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Olaudah_Equiano,_or_Gustavus_Vassa,_the_African.pdf\/15\"><\/span>impressions which the paragraph alluded to may have made. Whether the matter will bear an action or not, I do not know, and have not inquired whether you can punish by law; because I think it is not worth while to go to the expence of a law-suit, especially if a proper apology is made; for, can any man that reads your Narrative believe that you are not a native of Africe? I see therefore no good reason for not printing a fifth edition, on account of a scandalous paragraph in a new paper.\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dd>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dd>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dd>\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dd>I remain,\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dd><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Dear Sir<\/span>,\r\n<dl>\r\n \t<dd>Your sincere Friend,<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n<div style=\"text-align: right;padding-top: 0em;margin-right: 0\">\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">J. Baker<\/span>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<i>Grosvenor-street, May<\/i> 14, 1792.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<ol class=\"references\">\r\n \t<li id=\"cite_note-3\"><span class=\"mw-cite-backlink\"><a href=\"#cite_ref-3\">\u2191<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"reference-text\">My friend Mrs. Baynes, formerly Miss Guerin, at Southampton, and many others of her friends.\r\nJohn Hill, Esq. Custom-house, Dublin\r\nAdmir [illegible]\r\nAdmiral George Balfour, Portsmouth.\r\nCaptain Gallia, Greenock.\r\nMrs. Shaw, James-street, Covent Garden, London.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<div class=\"reflist\" style=\"clear: both;font-size: 83%;line-height: 1.25\"><\/div>","rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">An<\/span><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"> invidious falsehood having appeared in the Oracle of the 25th, and the Star of the 27th of April 1792, with a view to hurt my character,<\/span><sup id=\"cite_ref-1\" class=\"reference\" style=\"text-align: initial\"><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"&quot;Speak of me as I am,\/\u00a0Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught\/\u00a0In malice.&quot;\" id=\"return-footnote-95-1\" href=\"#footnote-95-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">\u00a0and to discredit and prevent the sale of my Narrative, asserting, that I was born in the Danish island of Santa Cruz, in the West Indies,<\/span><sup id=\"cite_ref-pdf11_2-0\" class=\"reference\" style=\"text-align: initial\"><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"I may now justly say,\/ &quot;There is a lust in man no charm can tame,\/ &quot;Of loundly publishing his heighbour's shame;\/ &quot;On eagles wings immortal scandals fly,\/ &quot;But virtuous actions are but born and die.&quot; London. The County Chronicle, and Weekly Advertiser for Essex, Herts, Kent, Surry, Middlesex, &amp;c. Tuesday, February 19th, 1788.\u2014Postscript.&quot;We are sorry the want of room prevents us from giving place to the favors of Gustavus Vassa on the Slave Trade. The zeal of this worthy African, in favour of his brethren, would do honour to any colour or to any cause.\" id=\"return-footnote-95-2\" href=\"#footnote-95-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">\u00a0it is necessary that, in <\/span><span class=\"pagenum ws-pagenum\" id=\"iv\" data-page-number=\"iv\" data-page-name=\"Page:The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.pdf\/12\" data-page-index=\"12\" data-page-quality=\"3\" title=\"Page:The_Interesting_Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Olaudah_Equiano,_or_Gustavus_Vassa,_the_African.pdf\/12\" style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\"><\/span><span style=\"text-align: initial;font-size: 1em\">this edition, I should take notice thereof, and it is only needful for me to appeal to those numerous and respectable persons of character who knew me when I first arrived in England, and could speak no language but that of Africa.<\/span><sup id=\"cite_ref-3\" class=\"reference\" style=\"text-align: initial\"><a class=\"footnote\" title=\"My friend Mrs. Baynes, formerly Miss Guerin, at Southampton, and many others of her friends. John Hill, Esq. Custom-house, Dublin. Admir [illegible] Admiral George Balfour, Portsmouth. Captain Gallia, Greenock. Mrs. Shaw, James-street, Covent Garden, London.\" id=\"return-footnote-95-3\" href=\"#footnote-95-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n<p>Under this appeal, I now offer this edition of my Narrative to the candid reader, and to the friends of humanity, hoping it <span class=\"pagenum ws-pagenum\" id=\"v\" data-page-number=\"v\" data-page-name=\"Page:The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.pdf\/13\" data-page-index=\"13\" data-page-quality=\"3\" title=\"Page:The_Interesting_Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Olaudah_Equiano,_or_Gustavus_Vassa,_the_African.pdf\/13\"><\/span>may still be the means, in its measure, of showing the enormous cruelties practised on my sable brethren, and strengthening the generous emulation now prevailing in this country, to put a speedy end to a traffic both cruel and unjust.<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;padding-top: 0em;margin-right: 0\">\n<p><i>Edinburgh, June 1792.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<p>LETTER<\/p>\n<p>OF<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Alexander Tillock to John Monteith, Esq. Glasgow.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Dear Sir<\/span>,<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Your<\/span> note of the 30th ult. I would have answered in course; but wished first to be able to inform you what paper we had taked the article from which respected <span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Gustavus Vassa<\/span>. By this day&#8217;s post, have sent you a copy of the Oracle of Wednesday the 25th \u2014 in the last column of the 3d page, you will find the article from which we <span class=\"pagenum ws-pagenum\" id=\"vi\" data-page-number=\"vi\" data-page-name=\"Page:The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.pdf\/14\" data-page-index=\"14\" data-page-quality=\"3\" title=\"Page:The_Interesting_Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Olaudah_Equiano,_or_Gustavus_Vassa,_the_African.pdf\/14\"><\/span>inserted the one in the Star of the 27th ult. \u2014 If it be erroneous, you will see it had not its origin with us. As to G. V. I know nothing about him.<\/p>\n<p>After examining the paragraph in the Oracle, which immediately follows the one in question, I am inclined to believe that the one respecting G. V. may have been fabricated by some of the advocates for continuing the Slave Trade, for the purpose of weakening he force of the evidence brought against that trade; for, I believe, if they could, hey would stifle the evidence altogether.<\/p>\n<p>Having sent you the Oracle, we have sent all that we can say about the business. I am,<\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Dear Sir<\/span>,<br \/>\nYour most humble Servant,<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;padding-top: 0em;margin-right: 0\">\n<p><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Alex. Tilloch.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><i>Star Office, 5th May<\/i>, 1792.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<div style=\"text-align: center\">\n<p>LETTER<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">From the Rev. Dr. J. Baker, or May Fair Chapel, London, to Mr. Gustavus Vassa, at David Dale&#8217;s Esq. Glasgow.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Dear Sir<\/span>,<\/p>\n<p>I went after Mr. Millan (the printer of he Oracle), but he was not at home. I understood that an apology would be made to you, and I desired t might be a proper one, such as would give fair satisfaction, and take off any disadvantageous <span class=\"pagenum ws-pagenum\" id=\"vii\" data-page-number=\"vii\" data-page-name=\"Page:The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African.pdf\/15\" data-page-index=\"15\" data-page-quality=\"3\" title=\"Page:The_Interesting_Narrative_of_the_Life_of_Olaudah_Equiano,_or_Gustavus_Vassa,_the_African.pdf\/15\"><\/span>impressions which the paragraph alluded to may have made. Whether the matter will bear an action or not, I do not know, and have not inquired whether you can punish by law; because I think it is not worth while to go to the expence of a law-suit, especially if a proper apology is made; for, can any man that reads your Narrative believe that you are not a native of Africe? I see therefore no good reason for not printing a fifth edition, on account of a scandalous paragraph in a new paper.<\/p>\n<dl>\n<dd>\n<dl>\n<dd>\n<dl>\n<dd>\n<dl>\n<dd>I remain,<\/p>\n<dl>\n<dd><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">Dear Sir<\/span>,<\/p>\n<dl>\n<dd>Your sincere Friend,<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<div style=\"text-align: right;padding-top: 0em;margin-right: 0\">\n<p><span style=\"font-variant: small-caps\">J. Baker<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><i>Grosvenor-street, May<\/i> 14, 1792.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol class=\"references\">\n<li id=\"cite_note-3\"><span class=\"mw-cite-backlink\"><a href=\"#cite_ref-3\">\u2191<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"reference-text\">My friend Mrs. Baynes, formerly Miss Guerin, at Southampton, and many others of her friends.<br \/>\nJohn Hill, Esq. Custom-house, Dublin<br \/>\nAdmir [illegible]<br \/>\nAdmiral George Balfour, Portsmouth.<br \/>\nCaptain Gallia, Greenock.<br \/>\nMrs. Shaw, James-street, Covent Garden, London.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<div class=\"reflist\" style=\"clear: both;font-size: 83%;line-height: 1.25\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-95-1\">\"Speak of me as I am,\/\u00a0Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught\/\u00a0In malice.\" <a href=\"#return-footnote-95-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-95-2\">I may now justly say,\/ \"There is a lust in man no charm can tame,\/ \"Of loundly publishing his heighbour's shame;\/ \"On eagles wings immortal scandals fly,\/ \"But virtuous actions are but born and die.\" London. The County Chronicle, and Weekly Advertiser for Essex, Herts, Kent, Surry, Middlesex, &amp;c. Tuesday, February 19th, 1788.\u2014Postscript.\"We are sorry the want of room prevents us from giving place to the favors of Gustavus Vassa on the Slave Trade. The zeal of this worthy African, in favour of his brethren, would do honour to any colour or to any cause. <a href=\"#return-footnote-95-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-95-3\">My friend Mrs. Baynes, formerly Miss Guerin, at Southampton, and many others of her friends. John Hill, Esq. Custom-house, Dublin. Admir [illegible] Admiral George Balfour, Portsmouth. Captain Gallia, Greenock. Mrs. Shaw, James-street, Covent Garden, London. <a href=\"#return-footnote-95-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div>","protected":false},"author":251,"menu_order":1,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[48],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-95","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/95","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/251"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/95\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/95\/revisions\/113"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/95\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=95"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=95"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/lifeofolaudahequia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=95"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}