Daniel Defoe

The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders

Robinson Crusoe

Biography

Daniel Defoe （1661？-1731）.—Journalist and novelist，son of a butcher in St. Giles，where he was born His father being a Dissenter，he was educated at a Dissenting college at Newington with the view of becoming a Presbyterian minister. He joined the army of Monmouth，and on its defeat was fortunate enough to escape punishment. In 1688 he joined William III. Before settling down to his career as a political writer，D. had been engaged in various enterprises as a hosier，a merchant-adventurer to Spain and Portugal，and a brickmaker，all of which proved so unsuccessful that he had to fly from his creditors. Having become known to the government as an effective writer，and employed by them，he was appointed Accountant in the Glass-Duty Office，1695-1699. Among his more important political writings are an Essay on Projects （1698），and The True-born Englishman （1701），which had a remarkable success. In 1702 appeared The Shortest Way with the Dissenters，written in a strain of grave irony which was，unfortunately for the author，misunderstood，and led to his being fined，imprisoned，and put in the pillory，which suggested his Hymns to the Pillory （1704）. Notwithstanding the disfavour with the government which these disasters implied，D.'s knowledge of commercial affairs and practical ability were recognised by his being sent in 1706 to Scotland to aid in the Union negotiations. In the same year Jure Divino，a satire，followed by a History of the Union （1709），and The Wars of Charles XII. （1715）. Further misunderstandings and disappointments in connection with political matters led to his giving up this line of activity，and，fortunately for posterity，taking to fiction. The first and greatest of his novels，Robinson Crusoe，appeared in 1719，and its sequel （of greatly inferior interest） in 1720. These were followed by Captain Singleton （1720），Moll Flanders，Colonel Jacque，and Journal of the Plague Year （1722），Memoirs of a Cavalier （1724），A New Voyage Round the World （1725），and Captain Carlton （1728）. Among his miscellaneous works are Political History of the Devil （1726），System of Magic （1727），The Complete English Tradesman （1727），and The Review，a paper which he edited. In all he published ，including pamphlets，etc.，about 250 works. All D.'s writings are distinguished by a clear，nervous style，and his works of fiction by a minute verisimilitude and naturalness of incident which has never been equalled except perhaps by Swift，whose genius his，in some other respects，resembled. The only deion of his personal appearance is given in an advertisement intended to lead to his apprehension，and runs，'A middle-sized，spare man about forty years old，of a brown complexion，and dark brown-coloured hair，but wears a wig；a hooked nose，a sharp chin，grey eyes，and a large mole near his mouth.” His mind was a peculiar amalgam of imagination and matter-of-fact，seeing strongly and clearly what he did see，but little conscious，apparently，of what lay outside his purview

The Life And Adventures Of Robinson Crusoe，etc

I was born in the Year 1632，in the City of York，of a good Family，tho' not of that Country，my Father being a Foreigner of Bremen，who settled first at Hull：He got a good Estate by Merchandise，and leaving off his Trade，lived afterward at York，from whence he had married my Mother，Relations were named Robinson，a very good Family at Country，and from whom I was called Robinson Keutznaer；but by the usual Corruption of Words in England，we are now called，nay we call our Selves，and writer Name Crusoe，and so my Companions always call'd me.

I had two elder Brothers，one of which was Lieutenant Collonel to an English Regiment of Foot in Flanders，formerly commanded by the famous Coll. Lockhart，and was killed at the Battle near Dunkirk against the Spaniards：What became of my second Brother I never knew any more than Father or Mother did know what was become of me.

Being the third Son of the Family，and not bred to any Trade，my Head began to be fill'd very early with rambling Thoughts：My Father，who was very ancient，had given me competent Share of Learning，as far as House-Education，and a Country Free-School generally goes，and design'd for the Law；but I would be satisfied with nothing but go to Sea，and my inclination to this led me so strongly against the Will，nay the Commands of my Father，and against all the Entreaties and Perswasions of my Mother and other Friends，that there seem'd to be something fatal in Propension of Nature tending directly to the Life of Misery which was to befal me.

My Father，a wise and grave Man，gave me serious excellent Counsel against what he foresaw was my Design. He call'd me one Morning into his Chamber，where he confined by the Gout，and expostulated very warmly me upon this Subject：He ask'd me what Reasons more a meer wandring inclination I had for leaving my Father House and my native Country，where I might be well introduced，and had a Prospect of raising my Fortunes Application and Industry，with a Life of Ease and Pleasure He told me it was for Men of desperate Fortunes on one Hand，or of aspiring，Superior Fortunes on the other，who went abroad upon Adventures，to rise by Enterprize，and make themselves famous in Undertakings of a Nature out of the common Road；that these things were all either too far above me，or too far below me；that mine was the middle State，or what might be called the upper Station of Low Life，which he had found by long Experience was the best State in the World，the most suited to human Happiness，not exposed to the Miseries and Hardships，the Labour and Sufferings of the mechanick Part of Mankind，and not embarass'd with the Pride，Luxury，Ambition and Envy of the upper Part of Mankind. He told me，I might judge of the Happiness of this State，by this one thing，viz. That this was the State of Life which all other People envied，that Kings have frequently lamented the miserable Consequences of being born to great things，and wish'd they had been placed in the Middle of the two Extremes，between Mean and the Great；that the wise Man gave his Testimony to this as the just Standard of true Felicity，when he pray to have neither Poverty or Riches.

He bid me observe it，and I should always find，that the Calamitles of Life were shared among the upper and lower Part of Mankind；but that the middle Station had the fewest Disasters，and was not expos'd to so many Vicisitudes as the higher or lower Part of Mankind；nay，they were not subjected to so many Distempers and Uneasiness either of Body or Mind，as those were who，by vicious Living，Luxury and Extravagancies on one Hand，or by hard Labour，Want of Necessaries，and mean or insufficient Diet on the other Hand，bring Distempers upon themselves by the natural Consequences of their Way of Living；That the middle Station of Life was calculated for，all kind of Vertues and all kinds of Enjoyments；that Peace and Plenty were the Hand-maids of a middle Fortune；that Temperance，Moderation，Quietness，Health，Society，all agreeable Diversions，and all desirable Pleasures，were the Blessings attending the middle Station of Life；that this Way Men went silently and smoothly thro' the World，and comfortably out of it，not embarass'd with the Labours of the Hands or of the Head，not sold to the Life of Slavery for daily Bread，or harrast with perplex'd Circumstances，which rob the Soul of Peace，and the Body of Rest；not enrag'd with the Passion of Envy，or secret burning Lust of Ambition for great things；but in easy Circumstances sliding gently thro' the World，and sensibly tasting the Sweets of living，without the bitter，feeling that they are happy，and learning by every Day's Experience to know it more sensibly.

After this，he press'd me earnestly，and in the most affectionate manner，not to play the young Man，not to precipitate my self into Miseries which Nature and the Station of Life I was born in，seem'd to have provided against；that I was under no Necessity of seeking my Bread；that he would do well for me，and endeavour to enter me fairly into the Station of Life which he had been just recommending to me；and that if I was not very easy and happy in the World，it must be my meer，Fate or Fault that must hinder it，and that he should have nothing to answer for，having thus discharg'd his Duty in warning me against Measures which he knew would be to my Hurt：In a word，that as he would do very kind things for me if I would stay and settle at Home as he directed，so he would not have so much Hand in my Misfortunes，as to give me any Encouragement to go away：And to close all，he told me I had my elder Brother for an Example，to whom he had used the same earnest Perswasions to keep him from going into the Low Country Wars，but could not prevail，his young Desires prompting him to run into the Army where he was kill'd；and tho' he said he would not cease to pray for me，yet he would venture to say to me，that if I did take this foolish Step，God would not bless me，and I would have Leisure hereafter to reflect upon having neglected his Counsel when there might be none to assist in my Recovery.

I observed in this last Part of his Discourse，which was truly Prophetick，tho' I suppose my Father did not know it to be so himself；I say，I observed the Tears run down his Face very plentifully，and especially when he spoke of my Brother who was kill'd；and that when he spoke of my having Leisure to repent，and none to assist me，he was so mov'd，0that he broke off the Discourse，and told me，his Heart was so full he could say no more to me.

I was sincerely affected with this Discourse，as indeed who could be otherwise？ and I resolv'd not to think of going abroad any more，but to settle at home according to my Father's Desire. But alas！ a few Days wore it all off；and in short，to prevent any of my Father's farther Importunities，in a few Weeks after，I resolv'd to run quite away from him. However，I did not act so hastily neither as my first Heat of Resolution prompted，but I took my Mother，at a time when I thought her a little pleasanter than ordinary，and told her，that my Thoughts were so entirely bent upon seeing the World，that I should never settle to any thing with Resolution enough to go through with it，and my Father had better give me his Consent than force me to go without it；that I was now Eighteen Years old，which was too late to go Apprentice to a Trade，or Clerk to an Attorney；that I was sure if I did，I should never serve out my time，and I should certainly run away from my Master before my Time was out，and go to Sea；and if she would speak to my Father to let me go but one Voyage abroad，if I came home again and did not like it，I would go no more，and I would promise by a double Diligence to recover that Time I had lost.

This put my Mother into a great Passion：She told me，she knew it would be to no Purpose to speak to my Father upon any such Subject；that he knew too well what was my Interest to give his Consent to any thing so much for my Hurt，and that she wondered how I could think of any such thing after such a Discourse as I had had with my Father，and such kind and tender Expressions as she knew my Father had us'd to me；and that in short，if I would ruine my self there was no Help for me；but I might depend I should never have their Consent to it：That for her Part she would not have so much Hand in my Destruction；and I should never have it to say，that my Mother was willing when my Father was not.

Tho' my Mother refused to move it to my Father，yet as I have heard afterwards，she reported all the Discourse to him.，and that my Father，after shewing a great Concern at it，said to her with a Sigh，That Boy might be happy if he would stay at home，but if he goes abroad he will be the miserablest Wretch that was ever born：I can give no Consent to it.

It was not till almost a Year after this that I broke loose，tho' in the mean time I continued obstinately deaf to all Proposals of settling to Business，and frequently expostulating with my Father and Mother，about their being so positively determin'd against what they knew my Inclinations prompted me to. But being one Day at Hull，where I went casually，and without any Purpose of making an Elopement that time；but I say，being there，and one of my Companions being going by Sea to London，in his Father's Ship，and prompting me to go with them，with the common Allurement of Seafaring Men，viz That it should cost me nothing for my Passage，I consulted neither Father or Mother any more，nor so much as sent them Word of it；but leaving them to hear of it as they might，without asking God's Blessing，or my Father's，without any Consideration of Circumstances or Consequences，and in an ill Hour，God knows. On the first of September 1651 I went on Board a Ship bound for London；never any young Adventurer's Misfortunes，I believe，began sooner，or continued longer than mine. The Ship was no sooner gotten out of the Humber，but the Wind began to blow，and the Winds' to rise in a most frightful manner；and as I had never been at Sea before，I was most inexpressibly sick in Body，and terrify'd in my Mind：I began now seriously to reflect upon what I had done，and how justly I was overtaken by the Judgment of Heaven for my wicked leaving my Father's House，and abandoning my Duty；all the good Counsel of my Parents，my Father's Tears and my Mother's Entreaties came now fresh into my Mind，and my Conscience，which was not yet come to the Pitch of Hardness to which it has been since，reproach'd me with the Contempt of Advice，and the Breach of my Duty to God and my Father.

All this while the Storm encreas'd，and the Sea，which I had never been upon before，went very high，tho' nothing like what I have seen many times since；no，nor like what I saw a few Days after：But it was enough to affect me then，who was but a young Sailor，and had never known any thing of the matter. I expected every Wave would have swallowed us up，and that every time the Ship fell down，as I thought，in the Trough or Hollow of the Sea，we should never rise more；and in this Agony of Mind，I made many Vows and Resolutions，that if it would please God here to spare my Life this one Voyage，if ever I got once my Foot upon dry Land again，I would go directly home to my Father，and never set it into a Ship again while I liv'd；that I would take his Advice，and never run my self into such Miseries as these any more. Now I saw plainly the Goodness of his Observations about the middle Station of Life，how easy，how comfortably he had liv'd all his Days，and never had been expos'd to Tempests at Sea，or Troubles on Shore；and I resolv'd that I would，like a true repenting Prodigal，go home to my Father.

These wise and sober Thoughts continued all the while the Storm continued，and indeed some time after；but the next Day the Wind was abated and the Sea calmer，and I began to be a little inur'd to it：However I was very grave for all that Day，being also a little Sea sick still；but towards Night the Weather clear'd up，the Wind was quite over，and a charming fine Evening follow'd；the Sun went down perfectly clear and rose so the next Morning；and having little or no Wind and a smooth Sea，the Sun shining upon it，the Sight was，as I thought，the most delightful that ever I saw.