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1、TheAutobiography(Excerpts)ToHisSonTwyford,attheBishopofSt.Asaph's,1771DearSon, Ihaveeverhadapleasureinobtaininganylittleanecdotesofmyancestors.YoumayremembertheenquiriesImadeamongtheremainsofmyrelationswhenyouwerewithmeinEnglandandthejourneyIundertookforthatpurp
2、ose.Imaginingitmaybeequallyagreeabletoyoutoknowthecircumstancesofmylife—manyofwhichyouareyetunacquaintedwith—andexpectingaweek'suninterruptedLeisureinmypresentcountryretirement,Isitdowntowritethemforyou.Besides,therearesomeotherinducementsthatexcitemetothisundert
3、aking.FromthepovertyandobscurityinwhichIwasbornandinwhichIpassedmyearliestyears,Ihaveraisedmyselftoastateofaffluenceandsomedegreeofcelebrityintheworld.Asconstantgoodfortunehasaccompaniedmeeventoanadvancedperiodoflife,myposteritywillperhapsbedesirousoflearningthem
4、eans,whichIemployed,andwhich,thankstoProvidence,sowellsucceededwithme.Theymayalsodeemthemfittobeimitated,shouldanyofthemfindthemselvesinsimilarcircumstances.Thatgoodfortune,whenIreflectedonit,whichisfrequentlythecase,hasinducedmesometimestosaythatwereitlefttomych
5、oice,Ishouldhavenoobjectiontogooverthesamelifefromitsbeginningtotheend,onlyaskingtheadvantageauthorshaveofcorrectinginasecondeditionsomefaultsofthefirst.SowouldIalsowishtochangesomeincidentsofitforothersmorefavorable.Notwithstanding,ifthisconditionweredenied,Isho
6、uldstillaccepttheoffer.Butasthisrepetitionisnottobeexpected,thatwhichresemblesmostlivingone'slifeoveragain,seemstobetorecallallthecircumstancesofit；and,torenderthisremembrancemoredurable,torecordtheminwriting.InthusemployingmyselfIshallyieldtotheinclinationsonatu
7、raltooldmenoftalkingofthemselvesandtheirownactions,andIshallindulgeit,withoutbeingtiresometothosewho,fromrespecttomyage,mightconceivethemselvesobligedtolistentome,sincetheywillbealwaysfreetoreadmeornot.Andlastly(Imayaswellconfessit,asthedenialofitwouldbebelievedb
8、ynobody)Ishallperhapsnotalittlegratifymyownvanity.Indeed, Ineverheardorsawtheintroductorywords,"WithoutVanityImaysay,"etc.,butsomevainthingimmediatelyfollowed.
