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 ed. In all he _pub._,
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 description 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.

_Lives_ by Chalmers (1786), H. Morley (1889), T. Wright (1894), and
others; shorter works by Lamb, Hazlitt, L. Stephens, and Prof. Minto,
Bohn's _British Classics_, etc.

DEKKER, THOMAS (1570?-1641?).--Dramatist and miscellaneous writer, was
_b._ in London. Few details of D.'s life have come down to us, though he
was a well-known writer in his day, and is believed to have written or
contributed to over 20 dramas. He collaborated at various times with
several of his fellow-dramatists, including Ben Jonson. Ultimately Jonson
quarrelled with Marston and D., satirising them in _The Poetaster_
(1601), to which D. replied in _Satiromastix_ (1602). D.'s best play is
_Old Fortunatus_ (1606), others are _The Shoemaker's Holiday_ (1600),
_Honest Who