The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe

by Daniel Defoe

exceedingly in his conversation; and he first began with me about

  religion in the most obliging manner imaginable. "Sir," says he,

  "you have not only under God" (and at that he crossed his breast)

  "saved my life, but you have admitted me to go this voyage in your

  ship, and by your obliging civility have taken me into your family,

  giving me an opportunity of free conversation. Now, sir, you see

  by my habit what my profession is, and I guess by your nation what

  yours is; I may think it is my duty, and doubtless it is so, to use

  my utmost endeavours, on all occasions, to bring all the souls I

  can to the knowledge of the truth, and to embrace the Catholic

  doctrine; but as I am here under your permission, and in your

  family, I am bound, in justice to your kindness as well as in

  decency and good manners, to be under your government; and

  therefore I shall not, without your leave, enter into any debate on

  the points of religion in which we may not agree, further than you

  shall give me leave."

  I told him his carriage was so modest that I could not but

  acknowledge it; that it was true we were such people as they call

  heretics, but that he was not the first Catholic I had conversed

  with without falling into inconveniences, or carrying the questions

  to any height in debate; that he should not find himself the worse

  used for being of a different opinion from us, and if we did not

  converse without any dislike on either side, it should be his

  fault, not ours.

  He replied that he thought all our conversation might be easily

  separated from disputes; that it was not his business to cap

  principles with every man he conversed with; and that he rather

  desired me to converse with him as a gentleman than as a

  religionist; and that, if I would give him leave at any time to

  discourse upon religious subjects, he would readily comply with it,

  and that he did not doubt but I would allow him also to defend his

  own opinions as well as he could; but that without my leave he

  would not break in upon me with any such thing. He told me

  further, that he would not cease to do all that became him, in his

  office as a priest, as well as a private Christian, to procure the

  good of the ship, and the safety of all that was in her; and

  though, perhaps, we would not join with him, and he could not pray

  with us, he hoped he might pray for us, which he would do upon all

  occasions. In this manner we conversed; and as he was of the most

  obliging, gentlemanlike behaviour, so he was, if I may be allowed

  to say so, a man of good sense, and, as I believe, of great

  learning.

  He gave me a most diverting account of his life, and of the many

  extraordinary events of it; of many adventures which had befallen

  him in the few years that he had been abroad in the world; and

  particularly, it was very remarkable, that in the voyage he was now

  engaged in he had had the misfortune to be five times shipped and

  unshipped, and never to go to the place whither any of the ships he

  was in were at first designed. That his first intent was to have

  gone to Martinico, and that he went on board a ship bound thither

  at St. Malo; but being forced into Lisbon by bad weather, the ship

  received some damage by running aground in the mouth of the river

  Tagus, and was obliged to unload her cargo there; but finding a

  Portuguese ship there bound for the Madeiras, and ready to sail,

  and supposing he should meet with a ship there bound to Martinico,

  he went on board, in order to sail to the Madeiras; but the master

  of the Portuguese ship being but an indifferent mariner, had been

  out of his reckoning, and they drove to Fayal; where, however, he

  happened to find a very good market for his cargo, which was corn,

  and therefore resolved not to go to the Madeiras, but to load salt

  at the Isle of May, and to go away to Newfoundland. He had no

  remedy in this exigence but to go with the ship, and had a pretty

  good voyage as far as the Banks (so they call the place where they

  catch the fish), where, meeting with a French ship bound from

  France to Quebec, and from thence to Martinico, to carry

  provisions, he thought he should have an opportunity to complete

  his first design, but when he came to Quebec, the master of the

  ship died, and the vessel proceeded no further; so the next voyage

  he shipped himself for France, in the ship that was burned when we

  took them up at sea, and then shipped with us for the East Indies,

  as I have already said. Thus he had been disappointed in five

  voyages; all, as I may call it, in one voyage, besides what I shall

  have occasion to mention further of him.

  But I shall not make digression into other men's stories which have

  no relation to my own; so I return to what concerns our affair in

  the island. He came to me one morning (for he lodged among us all

  the while we were upon the island), and it happened to be just when

  I was going to visit the Englishmen's colony, at the furthest part

  of the island; I say, he came to me, and told me, with a very grave

  countenance, that he had for two or three days desired an

  opportunity of some discourse with me, which he hoped would not be

  displeasing to me, because he thought it might in some measure

  correspond with my general design, which was the prosperity of my

  new colony, and perhaps might put it, at least more than he yet

  thought it was, in the way of God's blessing.

  I looked a little surprised at the last of his discourse, and

  turning a little short, "How, sir," said I, "can it be said that we

  are not in the way of God's blessing, after such visible

  assistances and deliverances as we have seen here, and of which I

  have given you a large account?" "If you had pleased, sir," said

  he, with a world of modesty, and yet great readiness, "to have

  heard me, you would have found no room to have been displeased,

  much less to think so hard of me, that I should suggest that you

  have not had wonderful assistances and deliverances; and I hope, on

  your behalf, that you are in the way of God's blessing, and your

  design is exceeding good, and will prosper. But, sir, though it

  were more so than is even possible to you, yet there may be some

  among you that are not equally right in their actions: and you

  know that in the story of the children of Israel, one Achan in the

  camp removed God's blessing from them, and turned His hand so

  against them, that six-and-thirty of them, though not concerned in

  the crime, were the objects of divine vengeance, and bore the

  weight of that punishment."

  I was sensibly touched with this discourse, and told him his

  inference was so just, and the whole design seemed so sincere, and

  was really so religious in its own nature, that I was very sorry I

  had interrupted him, and begged him to go on; and, in the meantime,

  because it seemed that what we had both to say might take up some

  time, I told him I was going to the Englishmen's plantations, and

  asked him to go with me, and we might discourse of it by the way
.

  He told me he would the more willingly wait on me thither, because

  there partly the thing was acted which he desired to speak to me

  about; so we walked on, and I pressed him to be free and plain with

  me in what he had to say.

  "Why, then, sir," said he, "be pleased to give me leave to lay down

  a few propositions, as the foundation of what I have to say, that

  we may not differ in the general principles, though we may be of

  some differing opinions in the practice of particulars. First,

  sir, though we differ in some of the doctrinal articles of religion

  (and it is very unhappy it is so, especially in the case before us,

  as I shall show afterwards), yet there are some general principles

  in which we both agree--that there is a God; and that this God

  having given us some stated general rules for our service and

  obedience, we ought not willingly and knowingly to offend Him,

  either by neglecting to do what He has commanded, or by doing what

  He has expressly forbidden. And let our different religions be

  what they will, this general principle is readily owned by us all,

  that the blessing of God does not ordinarily follow presumptuous

  sinning against His command; and every good Christian will be

  affectionately concerned to prevent any that are under his care

  living in a total neglect of God and His commands. It is not your

  men being Protestants, whatever my opinion may be of such, that

  discharges me from being concerned for their souls, and from

  endeavouring, if it lies before me, that they should live in as

  little distance from enmity with their Maker as possible,

  especially if you give me leave to meddle so far in your circuit."

  I could not yet imagine what he aimed at, and told him I granted

  all he had said, and thanked him that he would so far concern

  himself for us: and begged he would explain the particulars of

  what he had observed, that like Joshua, to take his own parable, I

  might put away the accursed thing from us.

  "Why, then, sir," says he, "I will take the liberty you give me;

  and there are three things, which, if I am right, must stand in the

  way of God's blessing upon your endeavours here, and which I should

  rejoice, for your sake and their own, to see removed. And, sir, I

  promise myself that you will fully agree with me in them all, as

  soon as I name them; especially because I shall convince you, that

  every one of them may, with great ease, and very much to your

  satisfaction, be remedied. First, sir," says he, "you have here

  four Englishmen, who have fetched women from among the savages, and

  have taken them as their wives, and have had many children by them

  all, and yet are not married to them after any stated legal manner,

  as the laws of God and man require. To this, sir, I know, you will

  object that there was no clergyman or priest of any kind to perform

  the ceremony; nor any pen and ink, or paper, to write down a

  contract of marriage, and have it signed between them. And I know

  also, sir, what the Spaniard governor has told you, I mean of the

  agreement that he obliged them to make when they took those women,

  viz. that they should choose them out by consent, and keep

  separately to them; which, by the way, is nothing of a marriage, no

  agreement with the women as wives, but only an agreement among

  themselves, to keep them from quarrelling. But, sir, the essence

  of the sacrament of matrimony" (so he called it, being a Roman)

  "consists not only in the mutual consent of the parties to take one

  another as man and wife, but in the formal and legal obligation

  that there is in the contract to compel the man and woman, at all

  times, to own and acknowledge each other; obliging the man to

  abstain from all other women, to engage in no other contract while

  these subsist; and, on all occasions, as ability allows, to provide

  honestly for them and their children; and to oblige the women to

  the same or like conditions, on their side. Now, sir," says he,

  "these men may, when they please, or when occasion presents,

  abandon these women, disown their children, leave them to perish,

  and take other women, and marry them while these are living;" and

  here he added, with some warmth, "How, sir, is God honoured in this

  unlawful liberty? And how shall a blessing succeed your endeavours

  in this place, however good in themselves, and however sincere in

  your design, while these men, who at present are your subjects,

  under your absolute government and dominion, are allowed by you to

  live in open adultery?"

  I confess I was struck with the thing itself, but much more with

  the convincing arguments he supported it with; but I thought to

  have got off my young priest by telling him that all that part was

  done when I was not there: and that they had lived so many years

  with them now, that if it was adultery, it was past remedy; nothing

  could be done in it now.

  "Sir," says he, "asking your pardon for such freedom, you are right

  in this, that, it being done in your absence, you could not be

  charged with that part of the crime; but, I beseech you, flatter

  not yourself that you are not, therefore, under an obligation to do

  your utmost now to put an end to it. You should legally and

  effectually marry them; and as, sir, my way of marrying may not be

  easy to reconcile them to, though it will be effectual, even by

  your own laws, so your way may be as well before God, and as valid

  among men. I mean by a written contract signed by both man and

  woman, and by all the witnesses present, which all the laws of

  Europe would decree to be valid."

  I was amazed to see so much true piety, and so much sincerity of

  zeal, besides the unusual impartiality in his discourse as to his

  own party or church, and such true warmth for preserving people

  that he had no knowledge of or relation to from transgressing the

  laws of God. But recollecting what he had said of marrying them by

  a written contract, which I knew he would stand to, I returned it

  back upon him, and told him I granted all that he had said to be

  just, and on his part very kind; that I would discourse with the

  men upon the point now, when I came to them; and I knew no reason

  why they should scruple to let him marry them all, which I knew

  well enough would be granted to be as authentic and valid in

  England as if they were married by one of our own clergymen.

  I then pressed him to tell me what was the second complaint which

  he had to make, acknowledging that I was very much his debtor for

  the first, and thanking him heartily for it. He told me he would

  use the same freedom and plainness in the second, and hoped I would

  take it as well; and this was, that notwithstanding these English

  subjects of mine, as he called them, had lived with these women

  almost seven years, had taught them to speak English, and even to

  read it, and that they were, as he perceived, women of tolerable

  understanding, and capable of instruction, yet they had not, to

  this hour, taught them anything of the Christia
n religion--no, not

  so much as to know there was a God, or a worship, or in what manner

  God was to be served, or that their own idolatry, and worshipping

  they knew not whom, was false and absurd. This he said was an

  unaccountable neglect, and what God would certainly call them to

  account for, and perhaps at last take the work out of their hands.

  He spoke this very affectionately and warmly.

  "I am persuaded," says he, "had those men lived in the savage

  country whence their wives came, the savages would have taken more

  pains to have brought them to be idolaters, and to worship the

  devil, than any of these men, so far as I can see, have taken with

  them to teach the knowledge of the true God. Now, sir," said he,

  "though I do not acknowledge your religion, or you mine, yet we

  would be glad to see the devil's servants and the subjects of his

  kingdom taught to know religion; and that they might, at least,

  hear of God and a Redeemer, and the resurrection, and of a future

  state--things which we all believe; that they might, at least, be

  so much nearer coming into the bosom of the true Church than they

  are now in the public profession of idolatry and devil-worship."

  I could hold no longer: I took him in my arms and embraced him

  eagerly. "How far," said I to him, "have I been from understanding

  the most essential part of a Christian, viz. to love the interest

  of the Christian Church, and the good of other men's souls! I

  scarce have known what belongs to the being a Christian."--"Oh,

  sir! do not say so," replied he; "this thing is not your fault."--

  "No," said I; "but why did I never lay it to heart as well as

  you?"--"It is not too late yet," said he; "be not too forward to

  condemn yourself."--"But what can be done now?" said I: "you see I

  am going away."--"Will you give me leave to talk with these poor

  men about it?"--"Yes, with all my heart," said I: "and oblige them

  to give heed to what you say too."--"As to that," said he, "we must

  leave them to the mercy of Christ; but it is your business to

  assist them, encourage them, and instruct them; and if you give me

  leave, and God His blessing, I do not doubt but the poor ignorant

  souls shall be brought home to the great circle of Christianity, if

  not into the particular faith we all embrace, and that even while

  you stay here." Upon this I said, "I shall not only give you

  leave, but give you a thousand thanks for it."

  I now pressed him for the third article in which we were to blame.

  "Why, really," says he, "it is of the same nature. It is about

  your poor savages, who are, as I may say, your conquered subjects.

  It is a maxim, sir, that is or ought to be received among all

  Christians, of what church or pretended church soever, that the

  Christian knowledge ought to be propagated by all possible means

  and on all possible occasions. It is on this principle that our

  Church sends missionaries into Persia, India, and China; and that

  our clergy, even of the superior sort, willingly engage in the most

  hazardous voyages, and the most dangerous residence amongst

  murderers and barbarians, to teach them the knowledge of the true

  God, and to bring them over to embrace the Christian faith. Now,

  sir, you have such an opportunity here to have six or seven and

  thirty poor savages brought over from a state of idolatry to the

  knowledge of God, their Maker and Redeemer, that I wonder how you

  can pass such an occasion of doing good, which is really worth the

  expense of a man's whole life."

  I was now struck dumb indeed, and had not one word to say. I had

  here the spirit of true Christian zeal for God and religion before

  me. As for me, I had not so much as entertained a thought of this

  in my heart before, and I believe I should not have thought of it;

  for I looked upon these savages as slaves, and people whom, had we

  not had any work for them to do, we would have used as such, or

  would have been glad to have transported them to any part of the

  world; for our business was to get rid of them, and we would all