Note to the Reader

The manuscript JOURNAL of our late Friend John Woolman, was ended in England; where he also finished all his Labours. It appears, by a Letter which he sent, in his last Illness, to a Friend in London, that he did not intend the whole should be printed, and that he desired the said Friend to revise what he had written in this Nation, and leave out such Parts as he should think proper. It was, notwithstanding, sent entire, without any Alteration, to America; where it was soon after printed, together with several Tracts which had been published in his Life-time. But, as some Passages in the Journal contain Observations which appear to have been intended as private Memorandums only, and others relate to Circumstances which happened in his native Country, not expedient to be preserved on Record in this Nation, it is apprehended that the following Abridgement of it will be acceptable to Friends, and may be of general Service; and, as many weighty Arguments and pertinent Advices, relative to Slavery and the Oppression of the Negroes in the Plantations, are contained in the Journal, it was therefore apprehended that two small Tracts on that Subject might be omitted in this Abridgement.

Our late Friend John Woolman completed the manuscript of his JOURNAL in England, where he also finished all his labors. During his final illness, he sent a letter to a Friend in London. The letter shows that he did not intend the whole journal to be printed. He asked the Friend to review what he had written in England and leave out any parts he thought appropriate. Nevertheless, the entire manuscript was sent to America without any changes. It was printed there soon afterward, along with several tracts published during his lifetime. Some passages in the Journal contain observations that seem intended only as private notes. Others concern events in his native country that it would not be advisable to preserve on record in England. We therefore believe this abridgment will be welcome to Friends and may be useful more generally. The Journal also contains many important arguments and relevant pieces of advice about slavery and the oppression of the Negroes in the Plantations. We therefore believed that two short tracts on that subject could be left out of this abridgment.