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WAS born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family, though not of that country, my father being a foreigner of Breman, who fettled first at Hull: he got a good eftate by merchandize, and leaving off his trade, lived afterward at York, from whence he had married my mother, whose relations were named Robinson, a very good family in that country, and from whom I was called Robinfon Kreutzaaer; but by the ufual corruption of words in England, we are now called, nay we call ourselves, and write our name Crufoe, and fo my companions always called me.

I had two elder brothers, one of which was licu-. tenant colonel to an English regiment of foot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous colo

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nel Lockhart, and was killed at the battle near Dun kirk against the Spaniards; what became of my fecond brother I never knew, any more than my father or mother did know what was become of me.

Being the third fon of the family, and not bred to any tradé, my head began to be filled very early with rambling thoughts: my father, who was very ancient, had given me a competent fhare of learning, as far as house education, and a country free-fchool generally goes, and defigned me for the law; but I would be fatisfied with nothing but going to fea, and my inclination to this led me fo ftrongly against the will, nay the commands of my father, and against all the entreaties and perfuafions of my mother and other friends, that there seemed to be fomething fatal in that propenfion of nature tending directly to the life of mifery which was to befal me.

My father, a wife and grave man, gave me ferious and excellent counfei against what he forefaw was my defign. He called me one morning into his chamber, where he was confined by the gout, and expoftulated very warmly with me upon this fubject: he afked me what reafons more than a meer wandring inclination I had for leaving my father's. house and my native country, where I might be well introduced, and had a profpect of raifing my fortune by application and induftry, with a life of eafe and pleasure. He told me it was for men of defperate. fortunes on one hand, or of afpiring, fuperior fortunes on the other, who went abroad upon adventures, to rife by enterprize, and make themfelves famous in undertakings of a nature out of the common road; that thefe things were all either too far

above me, or too far below me; that mine was the middle ftate, or what might be called the upper ftation of low life, which he had found by long experience was the beft ftate in the world, the most fuited to human happiness, not exposed to the miferies and hardfhips, the labour and fufferings of the mechanick part of mankind, and not embarrass'd with the pride, luxury, ambition and envy of the upper part of mankind. He told me, I might judge of the happiness of this state, by this one thing, viz. That this was the state of life which all other people envied; that kings have frequently lamented the miferable confequences of being born to great things, and wifh they had been placed in the middle of the two extremes, between the mean and the great; that the wife man gave his testimony to this as the just standard of true felicity, when he prayed to have neither poverty or riches.

He bid me observe it, and I should always find, that the calamities of life were fhared among the upper and lower part of mankind; but that the middle ftation had the feweft difafters, and was not exposed to fo many viciffitudes as the higher or lower part of mankind; nay, they were not fubjected to so many diftempers and uneafineffes either of body or mind, as those were, who by vicious living, luxury and extravagancies on one hand, or by hard labour, want of neceffaries, and mean or infufficient diet on the other hand, bring diftempers upon themselves by the natural confequences of their way of living; that the middle ftation of life was calculated for all kind of virtues and all kind of enjoyments; that B 2 peace

peace and plenty were the hand-maids of a middle fortune; that temperance, moderation, quietnefs, health, fociety, all agreeable diverfions, and all defireable pleasures, were the bleffings attending the middle station of life; that this way men went filently and smoothly through the world, and comfortably out of it, not embarraffed with the labours of the hands or of the head, not fold to the life of flavery for daily bread, or harraffed with perplexed circumftances, which rob the foul of peace, and the body of reft; not enraged with the paffion of envy, or fecret burning luft of ambition for great things; but in eafy circumstances fliding gently through the world, and fenfibly tasting the fweets of living, without the bitter, feeling that they are happy, and learning by every day's experience to know it more fenfibly.

After this, he preffed me earnestly, and in the most affectionate manner, not to play the young man, not to precipitate myself into miferies which nature and the station of life I was born in feemed to have provided against; that I was under no neceffity of feeking my bread; that he would do well for me, and endeavour to enter me fairly into the station of life which he had been juft recommending to me; and that if I was not very easy and happy in the world, it must be my meer fate or fault that muft hinder it, and that he should have nothing to answer for, having thus discharged his duty in warning me against measures which he knew would be to my hurt in a word, that as he would do very kind things for me if I would stay and fettle at home as he directed, fo he would not have so much hand in my misfortunes, as to give me any encouragement to go

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away and to clofe all, he told me I had my elder brother for an example, to whom he had ufed the fame earnest perfuafions to keep him from going into the low country wars, but could not prevail, his young defires prompting him to run into the army, where he was killed; and though he faid he would not ceafe to pray for me, yet he would venture to fay to me, that if I did take this foolish ftep, God would not blefs me, and I would have leifure hereafter to reflect upon having neglected his counfel when there might be none to affiit in my recovery.

I obferved in this laft part of his difcourfe, which was truly prophetick, though I fuppofe my father did not know it to be so himself; I fay, I obferved the tears run down his face very plentifully, and efpecially when he spoke of my brother who was killed; and that when he spoke of my having leisure to repent, and none to aflift me, he was fo moved, that he broke off the difcourfe, and told me, his heart was fo full, he could fay no more to me.

I was fincerely affected with this difcourfe, as indeed who could be otherwife? and I refolved not to think of going abroad any more, but to fettle at home according to my father's defire. But alas! a few days wore it all off; and in short, to prevent any of my father's farther importunities, in a few weeks after, I refolved to run quite away from him. However, I did not act so hastily neither as my firft heat of refolution prompted, but I took my mother, at a time when I thought her a little pleafanter than ordinary, and told her, that my thoughts were fo entirely bent upon feeing the world, that I fhould never fettle to any thing with resolution enough to go through

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