Excerpt from Asmodeus, or Legends of New York: Being a Complete Expose of the Mysteries, Vices and Doings, as Exhibited by the Fashionable Circles of New York It is our object to unmask evil in high places - to lay before the millions a knowledge of the ways and means, in which matters are carried on by respectable Sinners, - to portray the fashionable resorts, where luxury and magnificence, and all the arts of wealth are used to enchant the senses of the votaries of pleasure. A recent work has appeared, pretending to unfold the mysteries of this great city. We will show those who follow us that the writer of that work knows nothing of New York. Where he gives fancy sketches, we will give facts without fiction. Read and see. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.