by pirates and especially his encounter with the "tyger" sound like a
faint echo of "Captain Singleton" or of Captain John Smith's "True
Travels."

The noble Philidore falls in love with the rich and beautiful Placentia,
but as his estate is no match for hers, he contents himself with
entering her service in disguise and performing menial offices for the
pleasure of seeing her. One day she hears him singing in a grotto, and
is charmed by the graceful replies he makes to her questions. A little
later he saves her from robbers at the expense of a slight wound. She
offers to make him groom of her chamber, but fearful of being
recognized, he declines. Finally she lays her fortune at his feet, but
he has too much generosity to accept the offer. Leaving a letter
revealing his true rank and his poverty, he sails for Persia. Some time
later, the return of Placentia's long lost brother, by depriving her of
her fortune, puts her on a level with her lover.

Philidore is captured by pirates and with eleven others set on shore on
a desert strand. Three of the little company reach civilization. After
recuperating their strength, they set out for Persia overland, but a
tiger deprives Philidore of his two companions. A little later he
rescues an unknown youth from three assailants, but not before the
stranger has been seriously wounded. A passing traveller carries them to
the castle of a Persian nobleman. There Philidore waits with the utmost
impatience for the wounded man to recover strength enough to relate his
story, but this, as also the misfortunes, perplexities, and dangers to
which the despairing passion of the enamoured Placentia occasioned her
to reduce herself, and the catastrophe of Philidore's surprising fate,
must be told in a Second Part.