An Humble Proposal to the People of England, for the Increase of their Trade, and Encouragement of Their Manufactures Whether the Present Uncertainty of Affairs Issues in Peace or War PREFACE TO THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND. It deserves some notice, that just at, or soon after writing these sheets, we have an old dispute warmly […]

An Appeal to Honour and Justice, Though It Be of His Worst Enemies.Being A True Account of His Conduct in Public Affairs. “Come and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.” — JEREMIAH, xviii. 18. APPEAL, etc. I hope the time is come at […]

Vindication of the Press: OR, AN ESSAY ON THE Usefulness of Writing, ON CRITICISM, AND THE Qualification of AUTHORS. Wherein is shewn, That ’tis for the Advantage of all Governments to encourage Writing; otherwise a Nation would never be secure from the Attempts of its most secret Enemies; Barbarous and prejudic’d Criticisms on Writings are […]

THE DUMB PHILOSOPHER, OR, GREAT BRITAIN’S WONDER; CONTAINING: I. A faithful and very surprising Account how Dickory Cronke, a Tinner’s son, in the County of Cornwall, was born Dumb, and continued so for Fifty- eight years; and how, some days before he died, he came to his Speech; with Memoirs of his Life, and the […]

EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS IS NOBODY’S BUSINESS or, PRIVATE ABUSES, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES: EXEMPLIFIED In the Pride, Insolence, and exorbitant Wages of our Women, Servants, Footmen, etc. WITH A Proposal for Amendment of the same; as also for clearing the Streets of those Vermin called Shoe-Cleaners, and substituting in their stead many Thousands of industrious Poor, now ready […]

INTRODUCTION Atalantis Major is a thinly veiled allegory describing the November 1710 election of the representative Scottish peers. The circumstances which surrounded this election were produced by the outcome of the previous month’s General Election–a landslide for the Tories–and, to understand these circumstances, the impact of that Tory victory must be seen within the context […]

INTRODUCTION Defoe has been recognized as the author of A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates since 1932 when John Robert Moore suggested that the supposed author, Captain Charles Johnson, like Andrew Moreton, Kara Selym or Captain Roberts, was merely another mask for the creator of Robinson Crusoe. Although […]

This thing is so rare in all its circumstances, and on so good authority, that my reading and conversation have not given me anything like it. It is fit to gratify the most ingenious and serious inquirer. Mrs. Bargrave is the person to whom Mrs. Veal appeared after her death; she is my intimate friend, […]