chase; others printed in a manner inconfistent with the liberality which fhould have fupported a work of this kind. It is therefore prefumed this edition, which is well printed, on good paper, enriched and embellished with curious defcriptive plates, and offered for fale at a very moderate price, will be supported by a generous and discerning Public. DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE CUTS. VOL. I. Robinson Crusoe climbing the Cliff-Frotispiece. Robinson Crufoe's Difappointment in launching his Boat Facing Page 122 Robinson Crusoe furprifed at the Print of a Foot VOL. II. Friday meeting his Father-Frontifpiece. Robinson Crufoe's Inhabitants Difpute and Fight Robinson Crufoe's viewing Will Atkins's Basket House Robinson Crufoe's paffing the great Chinese Wall 45 92 230 THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE. I 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 Bremen, who fettled first at Hull. He got a good eftate by merchandise, and leaving off his trade lived afterwards at York, from whence he had married my mother, whose relations were named Robinson, a very good family in that county, and from whom I was called Robinson Kreutznaer; 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 whom was a lieutenant-colonel to an English regiment of foot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous Col. Lockhart, and was killed at a battle near Dunkirk, 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 trade, 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 to ftrongly aginft the will, nay, the commands of my father, and against all the intreaties and perfuafions of my mother and other friends, that there feemed 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 counsel 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 on this fubject -He asked me, what reafons, more than a mere wandering inclination, I had for leaving my father's houfe and my native country, where I might be well introduced, and had a profpect of raifing my fortune by application and industry, with a life of eafe and pleasure. He told me, it was men of desperate fortunes on one hand, or of afpiring fuperior fortunes on the other, and who went abroad upon adventures, to rife by enterprife, and make themfelves famous in undertakings of a nature out of the common road; that these 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 station of low life, which he had found, by long experience, was the beft ftate in the world; the moft fuited to human happiness, not expofed to the miferies and hardfhips, the labour and fufferings of the mechanic part of mankind, and not embarraffed with the pride, luxury, ambition, and envy of the upper part of man kind. He told me, I might judge of the happiness of this ftate by this one thing, viz. that this was the ftate of life which all other people envied; that kings have frequently lamented the miferable confequences of being born to great things, and wished they had been placed in the middle of the two extremes, between the mean and the great; that the wife man gave his teftimony to this, as the just standard of true felicity, when he prayed to have neither poverty nor riches. He bade 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 expofed to fo many viciffitudes as the higher or lower part of mankind; nay, they were not subjected to fo many diftempers and uneafinefs, either of body or mind, as thofe 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 themfeives 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 peace and plenty were the hand-maids of a middle fortune; that temperence, moderation, quietness, health, fociety, all agreeable diverfions, and all defirable pleasures, were the bleffings attending the middle ftation of life; that this way men went filently and smoothly thro' the world, and comfortably out of it; not embarraffed with the labours of the hands, or of the head; not fold to a 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 the fecret burning luft of ambition for great things; but in easy circumftances, flid.ng gently thro' the world, and fenfibly tafting the sweets 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, or to precipitate myself into miferies, which nature, and the ftation of life I was born in, feemed to have provided againft; that I was under no neceffity of feeking my A 4 bread bread, that he would do well for me, and endeavour to enter me fairly into the ftation of life which he had been just recommending to me; and that if I was not very eafy and happy in the world, it must be my mere fate, or fault, that must hinder it; and that he should have nothing to answer for, having thus difcharged 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 ftay and fettle at home, as he directed; so he would not have so much hand in my misfortunes as to give me any encourage-' ment to go away; and to clofe all, he told me, I had my elder brother for an example, to whom he had used the fame earnest perfuafions to keep him from going into the Low-Country wars, but could not prevail, his young defiles 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 leisure hereafter to reflect upon having neglected his counfel, when there might be none to aflift in my recovery. I obferved in this last part of his difcourfe, which was truly prophetic, tho' I fuppofe my father did not know it to be fo himfelf; I fay, I obferved the tears run down his face very plentifully, efpecially when he spoke of my brother who was killed; and that when he spoke of my having leifure to repent, and none to affift me, he was fo moved, that he broke off the discourse, and told me, his heart was fo full, he could fay no more to me. I was fincerely afflicted with this discourse, as indeed who could be otherwife and I refolved not to think of going abroad any more, but to settle at home according to my father's defire.-But, alas! a few days wore it all off; and, in fhort, 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 fo haftily neither, as the firft heat of my refolution prompted; but I took my mother at a time when I thought her a little pleasanter than ordinary, and told her that my thoughts were fo entirely bent upon feeing the world, that I should never fettle to any thing with re folution |