The Annual Register/1758/Extraordinary Adventures
Extraordinary Adventures.
Perhaps the human mind can have no entertainment at once more congenial and more useful to it, then such stories as compose the following article; stories of extraordinary distresses, and wonderful deliverances. In the former part our humanity is cultivated; in the latter is inspired a spirited hope and a trust in Providence, which may enable us to act with resolution in the trying emergencies of life. They have the effect which Aristotle attributes to good tragedy, in correcting the passions by terror and pity. They give us striking examples of the resources in which ingenious distress is fruitful; and instances as remarkable of magnanimity and virtue, sometimes even in rude minds, and where it might least be expected. For these reasons we have not confined ourselves wholly to the publications of the last year, for narratives of that kind, but have collected from those of the preceding, such as we thought most memorable.