to work, and working but to live, as if daily Bread where the only End of wearifome Life, and a wearifome Life the only Occafion of daily Bread,

This put me in Mind of the Life I liv'd in my Kingdom, the Ifland; where I fuffer'd no more Corn to grow, because I did not want it; and bred no more Goats," becaufe I had no more Ufe for them: Where the Money lay in the Drawer 'till it grew mouldy, and had fcarce the Favour to be look'd upon in 20 Years.

All these Things, had I improv'd them as I ought to have done, and as Reafon and Religion had dictated to me, would have taught me to fearch farther than human Enjoyments for a full Felicity, and that there was fomething which certainly was the Reafon and End of Life, fuperiour to all these Things, and which was either to be poffefs'd, or at leaft hop'd for on this Side the Grave.

But my Sage Counsellor was gone, I was like a Ship without a Pilot, that could only run afore the Wind: My Thoughts run all away again into the old Affair, my Head quite was turn'd with the Whimfies of foreign Adventures, and all the plea→ fant innocent Amufements of my Farm, and my Garden, my Cattle, and my Family, which beføre entirely poffeft me, were nothing to me, had no Relifh, and were like Mufick to one that has no Ear, or Food to one that has no Tafte: In a Word, I refolv'd to leave off House-keeping, lett my Farm, and return to London; and in a few Months after, I did so.

When

When I came to London, I was ftill as uneafy as I was before, I had no Relifh to the Place, no Employment in it, nothing to do but to faunter about like an idle Perfon, of whom it may be faid, he is perfectly useless in God's Creation; and it is not one Farthing Matter to the reft of his Kind, whether he be dead or alive. This alfo was the Life which of all Circumftances of Life was the most my Averfion, who had been all my Days ufed to an active Life; and I would often fay to my felf, A State of Idlen fs is the very Dregs of Life; and indeed I thought I was much more fuitably employ'd, when I was 26 Days a making me a Deal Board.

It was now the Beginning of the Year 1693, when my Nephew, who as I had obferv'd before I had brought up to the Sea, and had made him Commander of a Ship, was come Home from a fhort Voyage to Bilbua, being the firft he had made; and he came to me, and told me, that fome Merchants of his Acquaintance had been propofing to him to go a Voyage for them to the Eaft Indies and to China, as private Traders: And now Uncle, fays he, if you will go to Sea with me, I'll engage to land you upon your old Habitation in the Illand, for we are to touch at the Brafils.

Nothing can be a greater Demonftration of a future State, and of the Existence of an invisible World, than the Concurence of fecond Caufes, with the Ideas of Things, which we form in our Minds, perfectly refery'd, and not communicated to any in the World.

My

My Nephew knew nothing how far my Diftemper of wandring was return'd upon me, and I knew nothing of what he had in his Thoughts to fay, when that very Moming before he came to me, I had in a great deal of Confufion of Thought, and revolving every Part of my Circumftances in my Mind, come to this Refolution, viz. That I would go to Lisbon, and confult with my old SeaCaptain; and fo if it was rational and practicable, I would go and fee the Ifland again, and fee what was become of my People there. I had pleas'd my felf with the Thoughts of peopling the Place, and carrying Inhabitants from hence) getting a Patent for the Poffeffion, and I know not what; when in the Middle of all this, in comes my Nephew, as I have faid, with his Project of carrying me thither, in his Way to the Eaft Indies.

I paus'd a while at his Words, and looking fteadily az him, What Devil, faid 1, fent you of this unlucky Errand? My Nephew ftart'd as if he had been frighted at firft; but perceiving I was not much dilpleas'd with the Propofal, he recover'd himfelf. I hope it may not be an unlucky Propofal, Sir, fays he, I dare fay you would be pleas'd to fee your new Colony there, where you once reigned with more Felicity, than most of your Brother Monarchs in the World.

In a Word, the Scheme hit fo exactly with my Temper, that is to fay, the Prepoffeffion I was under, and of which I have faid fo much, that I told him in few Words, if he agreed with the Merchants, I would go with him: But I told him, I would not promife to go any farther than my

-GA YO own Illand. Why Sir, fays he, you don't want to be left there again, I hope? Why, faid I, can you not take me up again in your Return? He told me, it could not be poffible, that the Merchants would allow him to come that Way with a loaden Ship of fuch value, it being a Month's Sail out of his Way, and might be three or four Befides, Sir, if I fhould mifcarry, faid he, and not return at all, then you would be juft reduced to the Condition you were in before..

This was very rational; but we both found out a Remedy for it, which was to carry a framed Sloop on board the Ship, which being taken in Pieces, and fhipp'd on board the Ship, might by the Help of fome Carpenters, who we agreed to carry with us, be fet up again in the Inland, and finif'd, fit to go to Sea in a few Days.

I was not long refolving; for indeed the Importunities of my Nephew join'd in fo effectually with my Inclination, that nothing could oppofe me On the other hand, my Wife being dead, I had no Body concern'd themselves fo much for me, as to perfuade me one way or other, except my ancient good Friend the Widow, who earneftly ftruggled with me to confider my Years, my eafy Circumftances, and the needlefs Hazards of a long Voyage; and above all, my young Children; Bur it was all to no Purpofe, I had an irrefiftible De fire to the Voyage; and I told her, I thought there was fomething fo uncommon in the Impreffions I had upon my Mind for the Voyage, that it would be a kind of refifting Providence, if I fhould attempt to ftay at Home; after which, the ceas'd her Expoftulations, and join'd with me, not only in making Provifion for my Voyage, but

alfo

alfo in fettling my Family Affairs for my Abfence, and providing for the Education of my Chil dren.

In Order to this, I made my Will, and fettled the Eftate I had, in fuch a Manner for my Children, and placed in fuch Hands, that I was perfectly eafy and fatisfy'd they would have Juftice done them, whatever might befal me; and for their Education, I left it wholly to my Widow, with a fufficient Maintenence to her felf for her Care: All which the richly deferv'd; for no Mother could have taken more Care in their Education, or understand it better; and as the liv'd 'till I came Home, I alfo liv'd to thank her for ir. bind to alk

My Nephew, was ready to fail about the Beginning of January 1694-5, and I with my Man Friday went on board in the Downs the 8th, having befides that Sloop which I mention'd above, a very confiderable Cargo of all Kinds of neceffary Things for my Colony, which if I did not find in good Condition, I refolv'd to leave fo. Tolmada hangao ybol on

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First, I carry'd with me fome Servants, who I purpos'd to place there, as Inhabitants, or at leaft to fet on Work there upon my own Account while I ftay'd, and either to leave them there, or carry them forward as they thould appear willing; particularly, I carry'd two Carpenters, a Smith, and a very handy ingenious Fellow, who was a Cooper by Trade but was alfo a general Mechanick; for he was dextrous at making Wheels, and Hand-Mills to grind Corn, was a good Turner, and a good Pot Maker; he alfo made any Thing that was proper to make of Earth,