AUTHOR

Of the Book the

ENCHANTED WORLD original: "Betoverde Weereld".

An ornamental initial letter D features a landscape or garden scene with foliage.

Three lessons of the Apostle Paul come to my aid in this time and condition of my affairs. The first is, Let your moderation be known to all men; Philippians 4:5. The second, Endure afflictions; 2 Timothy 2:3 and 4:5. And the third, Let no man despise you. Titus 2:15. According to the first and second, I have thus far conducted myself as much as possible; and shall further do so by God's grace: it has now come to the third. To let the reader see this, I shall give him proof of my modesty and forbearance by means of a short account of what has happened thus far. What moved me to write this work, and how I behaved therein, so as to write it as it is, I have sufficiently explained in the Preface of the first Book. Consequently, it is as I testify at the beginning of that Act of Satisfaction, that I intended or sought nothing else than to make a good book. That it was judged otherwise, even before it was known, pained my heart: of which I have, as I recall, clearly given proof with my entire conduct. What more have I done? Not the very least that could feed or increase the displeasure: but all that I thought might still the same, I have constantly taken in hand. For before the Book was for sale in Amsterdam, or I was master of it myself, I wanted to buy the entire printing from the printer for ready