The Life and Most Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner (1801) Read online

  THE

  LIFE

  AND MOST

  SURPRISING ADVENTURES

  OF

  ROBINSON CRUSOE,

  OF YORK, MARINER.

  WHO LIVED EIGHT AND TWENTY YEARS IN ANUNINHABITED ISLAND, ON THE COAST OFAMERICA, NEAR THE MOUTH OF THEGREAT RIVER OROONOQUE,

  Including an Account of

  HIS DELIVERANCE THENCE, AND HIS AFTERSURPRISING ADVENTURES.

  WITH

  HIS VISION OF THE ANGELIC WORLD.

  AN IMPROVED EDITION,

  Illustrated with eight Engravings, from Original designs.

  To which is annexed,

  THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF

  ALEXANDER SELKIRK;

  Who lived four years and four months in a state of Solitude,on the Island of Juan Fernandez, in the Pacific Ocean,

  1801

  FRONTISPIECE.

  I Was Wrapt Up In Contemplation And Often LiftedUp My Hands, With The Profoundest Humility, ToThe Divine Powers, For Saving My Life, When TheRest Of My Companions Were All Drowned._Dr. and Eng. by A. Carse; Edin_.]

  PREFACE.

  If ever the story of any private man's adventures in the world wereworth making public, and were acceptable when published, the Editor ofthis account thinks this will be so.

  The wonders of this man's life exceed all that (he thinks) is to befound extant; the life of one man being scarce capable of agreater variety.

  The story is told with modesty, with seriousness, and with a religiousapplication of events to the uses to which wise men always apply them,viz. to the instruction of others by this example, and to justify andhonour the wisdom of Providence in all the variety of our circumstances,let them happen how they will.

  The editor believes this narrative to be a just history of fact; neitheris their any appearance of fiction in it: and though he is well awarethere are many, who on account of the very singular preservations theauthor met with, will give it the name of romance; yet in which ever ofthese lights it shall be viewed, he imagines, that the improvement ofit, as well as the diversion, as to the instruction of the reader, willbe the same; and as such, he thinks, without farther compliment to theworld, he does them a great service in the publication.