The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African

The Interesting Narrative of the
Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or
Gustavus Vassa, The African

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Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African, by Olaudah
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Title: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or
Gustavus Vassa, The African Written By Himself
Author: Olaudah Equiano
Release Date: March 17, 2005 [EBook #15399]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE
INTERESTING NARRATIVE

OF
THE LIFE
OF
OLAUDAH EQUIANO,
OR
GUSTAVUS VASSA,
THE AFRICAN.
_WRITTEN BY HIMSELF._
_Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid, for the
Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my
salvation. And in that shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name,
declare his doings among the people. Isaiah xii. 2, 4._

LONDON:
Printed for and sold by the Author, No. 10, Union-Street, Middlesex
Hospital
Sold also by Mr. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-Yard; Mr. Murray,
Fleet-Street; Messrs. Robson and Clark, Bond-Street; Mr. Davis,
opposite Gray's Inn, Holborn; Messrs. Shepperson and Reynolds, and
Mr. Jackson, Oxford Street; Mr. Lackington, Chiswell-Street; Mr.
Mathews, Strand; Mr. Murray, Prince's-Street, Soho; Mess. Taylor and
Co. South Arch, Royal Exchange; Mr. Button, Newington-Causeway;
Mr. Parsons, Paternoster-Row; and may be had of all the Booksellers in
Town and Country.
[Entered at Stationer's Hall.]

[Illustration: Olaudah Equiano or GUSTAVUS VASSA, _the African_]

To the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons of the
Parliament of Great Britain.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
Permit me, with the greatest deference and respect, to lay at your feet
the following genuine Narrative; the chief design of which is to excite
in your august assemblies a sense of compassion for the miseries which
the Slave-Trade has entailed on my unfortunate countrymen. By the

horrors of that trade was I first torn away from all the tender
connexions that were naturally dear to my heart; but these, through the
mysterious ways of Providence, I ought to regard as infinitely more
than compensated by the introduction I have thence obtained to the
knowledge of the Christian religion, and of a nation which, by its
liberal sentiments, its humanity, the glorious freedom of its government,
and its proficiency in arts and sciences, has exalted the dignity of
human nature.
I am sensible I ought to entreat your pardon for addressing to you a
work so wholly devoid of literary merit; but, as the production of an
unlettered African, who is actuated by the hope of becoming an
instrument towards the relief of his suffering countrymen, I trust that
such a man, pleading in such a cause, will be acquitted of boldness and
presumption.
May the God of heaven inspire your hearts with peculiar benevolence
on that important day when the question of Abolition is to be discussed,
when thousands, in consequence of your Determination, are to look for
Happiness or Misery!
I am, My Lords and Gentlemen, Your most obedient, And devoted
humble Servant, Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa.
Union-Street, Mary-le-bone, March 24, 1789.

LIST of SUBSCRIBERS.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness the Duke
of York.
A
The Right Hon. the Earl of Ailesbury Admiral Affleck Mr. William
Abington, 2 copies Mr. John Abraham James Adair, Esq. Reverend Mr.
Aldridge Mr. John Almon Mrs. Arnot Mr. Joseph Armitage Mr. Joseph
Ashpinshaw Mr. Samuel Atkins Mr. John Atwood Mr. Thomas
Atwood Mr. Ashwell J.C. Ashworth, Esq.
B

His Grace the Duke of Bedford Her Grace the Duchess of Buccleugh
The Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Bangor The Right Hon. Lord
Belgrave The Rev. Doctor Baker Mrs. Baker Matthew Baillie, M.D.
Mrs. Baillie Miss Baillie Miss J. Baillie David Barclay, Esq. Mr.
Robert Barrett Mr. William Barrett Mr. John Barnes Mr. John Basnett
Mr. Bateman Mrs. Baynes, 2 copies Mr. Thomas Bellamy Mr. J.
Benjafield Mr. William Bennett Mr. Bensley Mr. Samuel Benson Mrs.
Benton Reverend Mr. Bentley Mr. Thomas Bently Sir John Berney,
Bart. Alexander Blair, Esq. James Bocock, Esq. Mrs. Bond Miss Bond
Mrs. Borckhardt Mrs. E. Bouverie ---- Brand, Esq. Mr. Martin Brander
F.J. Brown, Esq. M.P. 2 copies W. Buttall, Esq. Mr. Buxton Mr. R.L.B.
Mr. Thomas Burton, 6 copies Mr. W. Button
C
The Right Hon. Lord Cathcart The Right Hon. H.S. Conway Lady
Almiria Carpenter James Carr, Esq. Charles Carter, Esq. Mr. James
Chalmers Captain John Clarkson, of