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I had two elder Brothers, one of which was Lieutenant-Collonel to an English Regiment of Foot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous Col. Lockhart, and was killed at the Battle near Dunkirk against the Spaniards: What became of my second 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 House-Education, and a Country Free-School generally goes, and design'd me for the Law; but I would be satisfied with nothing but going to Sea, and my Inclination to this led me so strongly against the Will, nay, the Commands of my Father, and against all the Entreaties and Persuasions of my Mother, and other Friends, that there seem'd to be something fatal in that propension of Nature tending directly towards the Life of Misery which was to befal me.
My Father, a wise and grave Man, gave me serious and excellent Counsel against what he foresaw was my Design. He called me one Morning into his Chamber, where he was confined by the Gout, and expostulated very warmly with me upon this Subject: He ask'd me what Reasons 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 Prospect of raising my Fortune by Application and Industry, with a Life of Ease and Pleasure. He told me it was for Men of desperate Fortunes on one Hand, or of aspiring, superior Fortunes on the other, who went abroad upon Adventures, to rise by Enterprize, and make themselves famous in Undertakings of a Nature out of the common Road;that
