FromachildIwasfondofreading, 'sProgress, myfirstcollectionwasofJohnBunyan''sHistoricalCollections; theyweresmallchapmen'sbooks,[16] andcheap, 'slittlelibraryconsistedchieflyofbooksinpolemicdivinity, mostofwhichIread, andhavesinceoftenregrettedthat, atatimewhenIhadsuchathirstforknowledge, moreproperbookshadnotfalleninmyway, 'sLivestherewasinwhichIreadabundantly, 's, calledanEssayonProjects, 's, calledEssaystodoGood, whichperhapsgavemeaturnofthinkingthathadaninfluenceonsomeoftheprincipalfutureeventsofmylife.
Thisbookishinclinationatlengthdeterminedmyfathertomakemeaprinter, thoughhehadalreadyoneson (James) , , , butatlastwaspersuaded, -oneyearsofage, onlyIwastobeallowedjourneyman', , , whenthebookwasborrowedintheeveningandtobereturnedearlyinthemorning, lestitshouldbemissedorwanted.
Andaftersometimeaningenioustradesman, , whohadaprettycollectionofbooks, andwhofrequentedourprinting-house, tooknoticeofme, invitedmetohislibrary, , andmadesomelittlepieces; mybrother, thinkingitmightturntoaccount, encouragedme, , andcontainedanaccountofthedrowningofCaptainWorthilake, withhistwodaughters: theotherwasasailor'ssong, onthetakingofTeach (orBlackbeard) , intheGrub-street-balladstyle;[17] , theeventbeingrecent, ; butmyfatherdiscouragedmebyridiculingmyperformances, , mostprobablyaverybadone; butasprosewritinghasbeenofgreatusetomeinthecourseofmylife, andwasaprincipalmeansofmyadvancement, Ishalltellyouhow, insuchasituation, IacquiredwhatlittleabilityIhaveinthatway.
