Робинзон Крузо

           Herewegotin,andthoughnotwithoutmuchdifficulty,gotallsafeonshore,andwalkedafterwardsonfoottoYarmouth,where,asunfortunatemen,wewereusedwithgreathumanity, aswellbythemagistratesofthetown,whoassignedusgoodquarters,asbyparticularmerchantsandownersofships,andhadmoneygivenussufficienttocarryuseithertoLondonorbacktoHullaswethoughtfit. 

           HadInowhadthesensetohavegonebacktoHull,andhavegonehome,Ihadbeenhappy,andmyfather,asinourblessedSaviour’sparable,hadevenkilledthefattedcalfforme; forhearingtheshipIwentawayinwascastawayinYarmouthRoads,itwasagreatwhilebeforehehadanyassurancesthatIwasnotdrowned. 

           Butmyillfatepushedmeonnowwithanobstinacythatnothingcouldresist; andthoughIhadseveraltimesloudcallsfrommyreasonandmymorecomposedjudgmenttogohome,yetIhadnopowertodoit. Iknownotwhattocallthis,norwillIurgethatitisasecretoverrulingdecree,thathurriesusontobetheinstrumentsofourowndestruction,eventhoughitbebeforeus,andthatwerushuponitwithoureyesopen. Certainly,nothingbutsomesuchdecreedunavoidablemisery,whichitwasimpossibleformetoescape,couldhavepushedmeforwardagainstthecalmreasoningsandpersuasionsofmymostretiredthoughts,andagainsttwosuchvisibleinstructionsasIhadmetwithinmyfirstattempt. 

           Mycomrade,whohadhelpedtohardenmebefore,andwhowasthemaster’sson,wasnowlessforwardthanI. ThefirsttimehespoketomeafterwewereatYarmouth,whichwasnottilltwoorthreedays,forwewereseparatedinthetowntoseveralquarters;