John Rastrick hoped that his narrative would be published, but he was also aware that doing so would inevitably change the nature and appearance of his life story. While I have not followed his instructions to change the account into a third-person narrative and to remove his prayers, devotions, letters, and ‘whatsoever may be thought indecent, and of no use’ (fo. 1v), some changes have been made in preparing this printed edition. These are worth describing both in terms of overall strategy and in matters of detail.