Daniel Defoe - International Man of Mystery

How about a little more culture and a quick look at another famous British author, this time Daniel Defoe. Daniel Foe, the son of a butcher was born in London in or around 1660. He later altered his surname by adding the “De” to make the more aristocratic “Defoe”, and indeed on occasions claimed descent from the De Beau Faux family. Defoe trained as a minister but changed his mind and indeed enjoyed many careers in his lifetime including trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He also spent some time in prison. He passed away in 1731 after living a long, full life, although often marred by debt.

Defoe’s contribution to British culture is unquestionable. He is among the founders of the English novel as well as being considered the founder of British journalism. Defoe may be remembered best for his novels, but he was a prolific writer, having written more than 500 books, pamphlets and journals on a whole range of diverse subjects including politics, crime, marriage, religion, economics, psychology and the supernatural!

In 1685 Defoe took part in the Monmouth rebellion and joined William lll and his advancing army. He became popular with the King after the publication of his most well known poem “The True Born Englishman” in 1701. This satirical poem attacks those who were prejudiced against having a King who was of foreign birth (King William lll was Dutch).  Defoe made it clear that the poem was not an attack on Englishness but on xenophobia. He argued that the English nation was a product of various incoming racial groups, from Ancient Britons to Anglo-Saxons, Normans and beyond. Therefore to abuse newer arrivals was a nonsense. Below is an extract from the poem to give you a flavour of the content:

Thus from a mixture of all kinds began, 
That het’rogeneous thing, an Englishman: 
In eager rapes, and furious lust begot, 
Betwixt a painted Britain and a Scot.
Whose gend’ring off-spring quickly learn’d to bow,
And yoke their heifers to the Roman plough: 
From whence a mongrel half-bred race there came,
With neither name, nor nation, speech nor fame.
In whose hot veins new mixtures quickly ran,
Infus’d betwixt a Saxon and a Dane.
While their rank daughters, to their parents just,
Receiv’d all nations with promiscuous lust.
This nauseous brood directly did contain
The well-extracted blood of Englishmen.

Maybe his words are as true today as they were then!

However as we have said, Defoe is probably best remembered for his novels. The best loved of all must be Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719. This story of a man shipwrecked on a desert island and his adventures is still popular with children and adults alike. The book has been made into a film (on more than one occasion) as well as a tv series and is enjoyed by many across the world.

Other novels by Defoe include Memoirs of a Cavalier (1720), A Journal of the Plague Year (1722) and Colonel Jack (1722). Interestingly, he also wrote two novels where women are the main characters, and the stories are written as though being told by the heroines.  Moll Flanders (1722) tells the story of the fall and redemption of a lone woman in the 17^th Century. Moll, although a prostitute, bigamist and thief manages to keep the reader’s sympathy and concern. This is a tribute to the way that Defoe has given an insight into her complex character.His final novel, Roxana : The Fortunate Mistress (1724), narrates the moral and spiritual decline of a high society courtesan.

If you are not familiar with the work of Daniel Defoe I would recommend that you check it out. It is  amazing to think that nearly 300 years after it was written his work is still read and appreciated.   

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