Imustrefertoaveryearlyperiodofmylife，wereItopointoutmyfirstachievementsasatale-teller-butIbelievesomeofmyoldschoolfellowscanstillbearwitnessthatIhadadistinguishedcharacterforthattalent，atatimewhentheapplauseofmycompanionswasmyrecompenseforthedisgracesandpunishmentswhichthefutureromance-writerincurredforbeingidlehimself，andkeepingothersidle，duringhoursthatshouldhavebeenemployedonourtasks。Thechiefenjoymentofmyholidayswastoescapewithachosenfriend，whohadthesametastewithmyself，andalternatelytorecitetoeachothersuchwildadventuresaswewereabletodevise。Wetold，eachinturn，interminabletalesofknight-errantryandbattlesandenchantments，whichwerecontinuedfromonedaytoanotherasopportunityoffered，withoutoureverthinkingofbringingthemtoaconclusion。Asweobservedastrictsecrecyonthesubjectofthisintercourse，itacquiredallthecharacterofaconcealedpleasure；andweusedtoselect，forthescenesofourindulgence，longwalksthroughthesolitaryandromanticenvironsofArthur’sSeat，SalisburyCrags，BraidHills，andsimilarplacesinthevicinityofEdinburgh；andtherecollectionofthoseholidaysstillformsan_oasis_inthepilgrimagewhichIhavetolookbackupon。Ihaveonlytoadd，thatmyfriendstilllivesaprosperousJohnIrving，writertotheSignet，Edinburgh，died1850。
gentleman，buttoomuchoccupiedwithgraverbusiness，tothankmeforindicatinghimmoreplainlyasaconfidantofmychildishmystery。
Whenboyhoodadvancingintoyouthrequiredmoreseriousstudiesandgravercares，alongillnessthrewmebackonthekingdomoffiction，asifitwerebyaspeciesoffatality。Myindispositionarose，inpartatleast，frommyhavingbrokenablood-vessel；andmotionandspeechwereforalongtimepronouncedpositivelydangerous。ForseveralweeksIwasconfinedstrictlytomybed，duringwhichtimeIwasnotallowedtospeakaboveawhisper，toeatmorethanaspoonfulortwoofboiledrice，ortohavemorecoveringthanonethincounterpane。WhenthereaderisinformedthatIwasatthistimeagrowingyouth，withthespirits，appetite，andimpatienceoffifteen，andsuffered，ofcourse，greatlyunderthissevereregimen，whichtherepeatedreturnofmydisorderrenderedindispensable，hewillnotbesurprisedthatIwasabandonedtomyowndiscretion，sofarasreadingmyalmostsoleamusementwasconcerned，andstilllessso，thatIabusedtheindulgencewhichleftmytimesomuchatmyowndisposal。
TherewasatthistimeacirculatinglibraryinEdinburgh，founded，Ibelieve，bythecelebratedAllanRamsay，which，besidescontainingamostrespectablecollectionofbooksofeverydescription，was，asmighthavebeenexpected，peculiarlyrichinworksoffiction。
Itexhibitedspecimensofeverykindfromtheromancesofchivalry，andtheponderousfoliosofCyrusandCassandra，downtothemostapprovedworksoflatertimes。Iwasplungedintothisgreatoceanofreadingwithoutcompassorpilot；andunlesswhensomeonehadthecharitytoplayatchesswithme，Iwasallowedtodonothingsaveread，frommorningtonight。Iwas，inkindnessandpity，whichwasperhapserroneous，howevernatural，permittedtoselectmysubjectsofstudyatmyownpleasure，uponthesameprinciplethatthehumoursofchildrenareindulgedtokeepthemoutofmischief。Asmytasteandappetiteweregratifiedinnothingelse，Iindemnifiedmyselfbybecomingagluttonofbooks。Accordingly，IbelieveIreadalmostalltheromances，oldplays，andepicpoetry，inthatformidablecollection，andnodoubtwasunconsciouslyamassingmaterialsforthetaskinwhichithasbeenmylottobesomuchemployed。