Accidents > Life and most surprising adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, mariner, who lived eight and twenty years in an uninhabited island on the coast of America, near the mouth of the great river Oroonoque

ROBINSON CRUSOE. zc>i
the miffionary Roman priefts, who were converting
the people to Chrit'tianity : Two of them were re-
ierveJ, rigid, and auftere, applying themfelves to
the work they came about with great earneftnefs ;
but the third, who was a Frenchman, called Father
Simon, was of a freer converfatipn, not feemingly
fo ferious apd grave, yet no worfe Chriftian than the
ether two, one of whom was a Portuguefe, and the
other a Genoefe. Father Simon, it leems, was ap¬
pointed to go to Pekin, the royal leat of the Empe¬
ror of the Chinefe : And he only waited for another
prieft, who was ordered from Id icao to accompany
him. We never met together, but he was promp¬
ting me to keep him company in his journey : Sir,
faid he, I will fhew you the glorious things of this
mighty empire, and a city, the city of Pekin, far
exceeding London or Paris, put them both together.
One day in particular, being at dinner with him, I
Ihewcd.fome inclination to go; wnich made him
prefs the more upon me and my partner, to gain onr
perfect confent. But, Vather Simon, faid my part¬
ner, what fatisfaciion can you have ih our company,
whom y.u e/leem as heretics, andconfcquently objects r.ot
worthy your regard? Oh! faid he, you may be. as
good Catholics in time as thole I hope to convert to
our religion. /Ind fo, faid I, we jhall have you
preaching to us all the way, injlead of pleafing us with
a dejeription of the country. Sir, laid he, however
our religion may be vilified by fome people, it is very
certain it neither diverts us of good manners or Chri¬
ftian charity ; and as we are gentlemen, as fuch we
may converfe together, without making one another
uneafy.
But we fliall leave,, him a while, to confider our
ftiip and the merchandife'which we had to difpofe
of. There was but very little trade in the place
where we were; and fo I was once refolved to ven¬
ture to fail to the river Kilam, and fo to the city of
B b 2 Nantprtn :