THIS Booke was wrote by mee Robert Knox (the sonn of Robert Knox who died one the Iland of Zelone) when I was aboute 39 years of Age. I was taken prisoner one Zelone, 4th Aprill, 1660. I was borne one Tower hill in London, 8th Feb: 1641. My Age when taken was 19 years: 1 Month & 27 dayes. Continewed prisoner thare 19 years 6 month 14 dayes So that I was a prisoner thare 4 Month & 17 dayes longer then I had lived in the world before, & one the 18 October 1679 God set mee free from that Captivity, being then with the Hollanders at Arepa fort to whome be all Glory & prayse.

ROBERT KNOX, 1696 in London.

In my passage to England from Bantam, in Anno 1679 I wrote this Booke, 3 Reasons Induced mee so to doe: first to Record Gods great mercies in so plentifully 1 sustaining me in the land of myne enimies in despite of those who boath invied & hated mee & sent to mee thare his most sacred Word the wholy Bible in my owne native language even whare the name of the true God is not known, & after a Detainement of 19 yeares 6 months & 14 dayes his providence so disposed of & directed mee to escape thence with the first, & Conducted me safe whome to my Native Country, all the perticulars thareof ought to be remembred by me to my lives end, for he hath fulfilled to me his promise; Deute 30 Chap, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 verses which I often called to mind in that land whare I was a Stranger to my great Comfort & Consolation, lest time should ware them out of my mind. Secondly: 2 that after my death if had died by the way my Relations might know what became of my Father (& how & after

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what manner the Almighty had dealt with mee which I could not but thinke they would be glad to be informed of.

Thirdly to excercise my hand to wright for in all the time of my Captivity, I had neither pen Inke nor paper & now as a man new borne I came into the world, so made it part of my buisnesse to learne to write & for the afforesaid reasons, thought this would be a fitt subject to imploy my pen one, but then intended it noe further.

After I came to London the East india Company haveing heard I had bin dilligent in writing papers in my passage desired a sight of what I had wrote (if it ware not a secret) so I presented my papers to theire view: they being of some bulke could not presently peruse them but bad me leave them tel next Court day & S Josiah Child said he would carry them whome with him to peruse; next Court day he delivered them to mee againe saying in his opinion they might well be printed, the papers Containing many new & Strainge Stories. The Court of Committies advised mee the same then I asked theire leave to dedicate the booke to themselves which they readily granted, & by the assistance of my Cousen John Strype a Minister who Composed it into heads & Chapters for my papers ware promiscuous & out of forme with severall inlargements one such heads as I had but touched briefely which then my memory was fit to doe haveing the very Idea or representation of what I wrote so perfectly in my mind, by my longe detainement & Conversation thare as if they had bin visible to my sight & so it came to the booke you see.

And since I have severall times Considerately read over the same, & doe find nothing to disagree from the very truth to my Certaine knowledge, but onely note in page (46) whare in I write that the old King poysond his onely sonn, but since at my being at the City of Batavia I am certainely informed that at the old Kings Death that very sonn succeeded his father, & reigneth King in his stead, & hath setled a peace with the Hollanders, & releaced all

Captives of theire nation that ware in his dominions, now I see that the old Kinge Raja-Singah by his craft hath Imposed one all the people of his Country, whare I thinke not one doubted of the truth of his death, more then my selfe, but when I wrote that he poysoned his son it was so generally beleeved & in truth I beleeve then nobody (unlesse those that attended his person) knew better. I thinke I neede not doubte of any Readers pardon that I have incerted a lye, for if they themselves had bin upon the place they might as safely have bin deceaved as my selfe, but I must Confesse it is some Injury to my old Master Raja Singah whose Tyrany without this Act was not inferiour to any, yet my offence ought to be pardoned since he himselfe was the onely cause that made all people thare beleeve it.

This that I have said is the true Cause how my Scribled papers came to be published in print which at the wrighting heere of I never thought worthy troubling the world with, I haveing since the Death of my father (whome I buried with my owne hands) had such Ample experience of Gods wonderfull & peculiar providence over mee ought not to let them passe unregarded & from thence I make this Inference viz' that obedience to Parence is not without reward even in this life. In fo: 119 my father stricketly charged me as I would answer before Almighty God & one his Blessing when I was sent one board, to returne one shore to him againe Althought at that time when I went one board thare was but little apperence of any other Condition then slavery yet I blesse God the Scence of that Great Charge, my Fathers Blessing, so animated my heart that I set it higher then life without it, & althought I continewed in a longe Captivity yet I was Compased aboute with so many peculiar Blessings & such Composuer of mind that I never found cause to. repent of my obedience to my father, although I suffered Captivity thareby. I further note that my escape (which was carried one in a Chaine of providences) followed the prediction of my dying father.

And when I came whome to my Native Country of England I was Destitute both of mony & friends finding but very little that my father left mee: & my abillity for any Imployment lesse, then did he set the heart of S Josiah Child a man great in power, to doe mee good & since God hath strangely preserved mee, & blessed mee. From hence I further observe it was one of my fathers Charges to me one his deathbead to take care of my Brother & Sister, both which I found living at my returne to England after 23 years absence, but how could I performe this Charge of my Dying father, when they boath ware in a fitter Capassity to take care of mee who had nothing to helpe my selfe, yet his providence straingely enabled mee to performe this Charge for my portion of patrimony was devided betweene my Brother and Sister : the latter paid mee, but my Brother told me he was not able to doe it, but God made mee able notwithstanding my poverty franckely to remitt it to him. My Brother & Sister are boath Dead & have noe further neede: the Blessing of God to mee is such that now it is in the power of my hand to be helpfull my fathers GrandChildren.

Those passages that I have writen Concerning Gods dealings with mee seemes to mee so remarkeable that I cannot omitt to leave them upon Record to my Relations & friends (mistake mee not) I looke not one those great Blessings from God to come as a reward or Meritt one my obedience, but from the faithfullnesse of God in fully performing his promise, made Exodus 20 & verse 12 as he did the other promise Deut: 30 & verse 1 to 5, which was an introduction to the other.

Neither did the speciall Care of Gods providence over me Commence at & after my deliverance, but was signally manifested to mee During the whole time of my Captivity, as by this Booke doth appeare for I wanted nothing nessessary but a deliverance, which he also gave me in his dew time.

I have often thought of David who accounted it a great