Page:The life and strange surprizing adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, mariner- who lived eight and twenty years all alone in an un-inhabited island on the coast of America (IA lifestrangesurpr01defo).pdf/12

 I had two elder Brothers, one of which was Lieutenant-Collonel to an Englih Regiment of Foot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous Col. Lockhart, and was killed at the Battle near Dunkirk againt the Spaniards: What became of my econd Brother I never knew, any more than my Father or Mother did not know what was become of me.

Being the third Son of the Family, and not bred to any Trade, my Head began to be fill'd very early with rambling Thoughts: My Father, who was very ancient, had given me a competent Share of Learning, as far as Houe-Education, and a Country Free-School generally goes, and deign'd me for the Law; but I would be atisfied with nothing but going to Sea, and my Inclination to this led me o trongly againt the Will, nay, the Commands of my Father, and againt all the Entreaties and Peruaions of my Mother, and other Friends, that there eem'd to be omething fatal in that propenion of Nature tending directly towards the Life of Miery which was to befal me.

My Father, a wie and grave Man, gave me erious and excellent Counel againt what he foreaw was my Deign. He called me one Morning into his Chamber, where he was confined by the Gout, and expotulated very warmly with me upon this Subject: He ask'd me what Reaons more than a meer wandring Inclination I had for leaving my Father's Houe and my native Country, where I might be well introduced, and had a Propect of raiing my Fortune by Application and Indutry, with a Life of Eae and Pleaure. He told me it was for Men of deperate Fortunes on one Hand, or of apiring, uperior Fortunes on the other, who went abroad upon Adventures, to rise by Enterprize, and make themelves famous in Undertakings of a Nature out of the common Road;