Defoe', Daniel

a celebrated English political and miscellaneous writer, B. at London, 1661. As a zealous Whig and Di enter, he was frequently in trouble on account of his writings; and for his clever piece of irony, entitled The Shortest Way with the Di enters, the drift of which was mistaken by both Churchmen and Di enters, he was arrested, set in the pillory, and imprisoned. The book was ordered by the House of Commons to be burnt. It was during his imprisonment that he wrote his Hymn to the Pillory. Released in 1704, he began the publication of The Review, which he continued for 9 years. He was sent by the government in 1706 to Scotland, to prepare the way for the Union. After his return he suffered a second imprisonment on account of some of his political pamphlets. His health being seriously injured by hara ing political warfare and persecutions, he found it nece ary to choose a le exciting employment for his pen, and during the latter years of his life he published the works of fiction by which he is now best known. Robinson Crusoe appeared in 1719, and obtained immediately the popularity which it has never lost. He added a second and a third part to the