1719.]

ALEXANDER SELKIRK.

291

nearly a hundred pages; a Paper published weekly; another appearing thrice a week; and, a great part of the time, a fourth, issued daily; besides about twenty biographical, historical, and political pamphlets, and several considerable volumes, then unknown to be his. So great an amount of intellectual toil would be incredible were not the facts before us, in the works themselves. Much of the time for recruiting exhausted Nature with necessary food and sleep,-all his goings and returningshis seasons of social intercourse, if any,-in fact, during every waking moment, must that calm and clear head have been able to concentrate his faculties upon whatever subject engaged his pen at the time. Let the eye glance at the List of his works from the beginning of 1719 to 1724,-let the attention be directed to the short periods between the publication of successive volumes, and adding thereto, his Journalistic labours, it may fairly be asked if the history of the world contains proof that an equally prolific literary genius has existed?

This is not the place in which to dilate upon the wide grasp of Defoe's mind, as exhibited in his later writings, which included almost every branch of literature; nor to enlarge upon his peculiar and happy manner of treating every subject, so as to interest all ranks and classes of readers. Such considerations belong rather to retrospection than anticipation; and I must therefore apologize for desiring that the readers of this Memoir should,-while hearing of the production of his successive works,-be enabled to carry along with them a general impression of his multifarious and daily engagements as a journalist, admitting of no postponement or delay; and his untiring indomitable industry, which enabled him to achieve the results we have further to consider.

Alexander Selkirk, born at Largs, in the County of Fife, in 1676, became a sailor on board Captain Stradling's ship in the cruising expedition of Captain Dampier to the South Seas. Having quarrelled with his captain, he deserted the ship at the island of Juan Fernandez, in September 1704, and lived alone there four years and four months, until he was released by Captain Woodes Rogers, in the month of February, 1709, when he became mate during the remainder of Rogers's expedition, and returned to England in the month of October, 1711,

with a booty of 800l., after an absence of rather more than eight years. In 1712, Captain Rogers published an Account of his Voyage, which contains a brief relation of Selkirk's residence on the Island. Several other meagre accounts were published; and Selkirk being in London, was seen by Steele, who, on the 3rd of December 1713, occupied the 26th number of the "Englishman" with a short narrative of the information Selkirk gave him about his adventures.

Such is the ground-work upon which Defoe built his most celebrated romance; the first volume of which was published on the 25th of April 1719, with the following title, “The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner: who lived Eight and Twenty Years all alone in an Uninhabited Island on the Coast of America, near the Mouth of the Great River Oroonoque; Having been cast on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein All the Men perished but himself. With an Account how he was at last as strangely deliver'd by Pyrates. Written by himself. London. Printed for W. Taylor at the Ship in Paternoster Row. 1719."

Defoe must have felt that, in writing a preface, his task was needless, as a recommendation. His brief and simple address is therefore intended to aid the little artifice that he had merely edited Crusoe's own narrative. "If ever the Story of any private Man's Adventures in the World were worth making Publick, and were acceptable when Publish'd, the Editor of this Account thinks this will be so. The Wonders of this Man's Life exceed all that (he thinks) is to be found extant; the Life of one Man being scarce capable of a greater Variety. The Story is told with so much Modesty, with Seriousness, and with a religious Application of Events to the Uses to which wise Men always apply them, (viz.), to the Instruction of others by this Example, and to justify and honour the Wisdom of Providence in all the Variety of our Circumstances, let them happen how they will. The Editor believes the thing to be a just History of Fact; neither is there any appearance of Fiction in it: and however thinks, because all such things are dispatch'd, that the Improvement of it, as well to the Diversion as to the Instruction of the Reader, will be the same, and as such, he thinks, without further Compliment to the World, he does them a great Service in the Publication."

THE

LIFE

AND

STRANGE SURPRIZING

ADVENTURES

OF

ROBINSON CRUSOE, Of TORK, MARINER:

Who lived Eight and Twenty Years,

all alone in an un-inhabited Ifland on the Coast of AMERICA, near the Mouth of the Great River of ORO ONOQUE ;

Having been caft on Shore by Shipwreck, wherein all the Men perifhed but himself.

WITH

An Account how he was at laft as ftrangely deliver'd by PYRATES.

Written by Himfelf.

LONDON:

Printed for W. TAYLOR at the Ship in Pater-NofterRow. MDCCXIX.

[TITLE PAGE TO VOLI OF THE 1ST EDITION OF ROBINSON CRUSOE]