I was born in the year 1632, in the city of York, of a good family, though not of that country, my father being a foreigner of Bremen, who settled first at Hull. He got a good estate bymerchandise, and leaving off his trade, lived afterwards at York, from whence he hadmarried my mother, whose relations were named Robinson, a very good family in thatcountry, and from whom I was called Robinson Kreutznaer; but, by the usual corruption ofwords in England, we are now called-nay we call ourselves and write our name-Crusoe;and so my companions always called me.I had two elder brothers, one of whom was lieutenant-colonel to an English regiment offoot in Flanders, formerly commanded by the famous Colonel Lockhart, and was killed atthe battle near Dunkirk against the Spaniards. What became of my second brother I neverknew, any more than my father or mother knew what became of me.Being the third son of the family and not bred to any trade, my head began to be filled veryearly with rambling thoughts. My father, who was very ancient, had given me a competentshare of learning, as far as house-education and a country free school generally go, anddesigned me for the law; but I would be satisfied with nothing but going to sea; and myinclination to this led me so strongly against the will, nay, the commands of my father, andagainst all the entreaties and persuasions of my mother and other friends, that thereseemed to be something fatal in that propensity of nature, tending directly to the life ofmisery which was to befall me