Робінзон Крузо
First Weeks on the Island
Butsomethingalwaysreturnedswiftuponmetocheckthesethoughts,andtoreproveme; andparticularlyoneday,walkingwithmyguninmyhandbytheseaside,Iwasverypensiveuponthesubjectofmypresentcondition,whenreason,asitwere,expostulatedwithmet’otherway,thus: "Well,youareinadesolateconditionitistrue,butprayremember,wherearetherestofyou? Didnotyoucomeelevenofyouintheboat?Wherearetheten? Whywerenottheysaved,andyoulost? Whywereyousingledout? Isitbettertobehere,orthere?" AndthenIpointedtothesea. Allevilsaretobeconsideredwiththegoodthatisinthem,andwithwhatworseattendsthem.
Thenitoccurredtomeagain,howwellIwasfurnishedformysubsistence,andwhatwouldhavebeenmycaseifithadnothappened,whichwasahundredthousandtoone,thattheshiphadfloatedfromtheplacewhereshefirststruckandwasdrivensoneartotheshorethatIhadtimetogetallthesethingsoutofher; whatwouldhavebeenmycase,ifIhadbeentohavelivedintheconditioninwhichIfirstcameonshore,withoutnecessariesoflife,ornecessariestosupplyandprocurethem? "Particularly,"saidIaloud(thoughtomyself),"whatshouldIhavedonewithoutagun,withoutammunition,withoutanytoolstomakeanythingortoworkwith,withoutclothes,bedding,atent,oranymannerofcovering?" andthatnowIhadallthesetoasufficientquantity,andwasinafairwaytoprovidemyselfinsuchamanner,astolivewithoutmygunwhenmyammunitionwasspent; sothatIhadatolerableviewofsubsistingwithoutanywantaslongasIlived. ForIconsideredfromthebeginninghowIwouldprovidefortheaccidentsthatmighthappen,andforthetimethatwastocome,evennotonlyaftermyammunitionshouldbespent,butevenaftermyhealthorstrengthshoulddecay.
