ral education; and Dr. Blair says, "No
fiction, in any language, was ever better supported than the Adventures
of Robinson Crusoe. While it is carried on with that appearance of truth
and simplicity, which takes a strong hold of the imagination of all
readers, it suggests, at the same time, very useful instruction; by
showing how much the native powers of man may be exerted for
surmounting the difficulties of any external situation." It has been
pretended, that De Foe surreptitiously appropriated the papers of
Alexander Selkirk, a Scotch mariner, who lived four years alone on the
island of Juan Fernandez, and a sketch of whose story had before
appeared in the voyage of Captain Woodes Rogers. But this charge, though
repeatedly and confidently brought, appears to be totally destitute of
any foundation. De Foe probably took some general hints for his work
from the story of Selkirk, but there exists no proof whatever, nor is it
reasonable to suppose that he possessed any of his papers or memoirs,
which had been published seven years before the appearance of Robinson
Crusoe. As a farther proof of De Foe's innocence, Captain Rogers'
Account of Selkirk may be produced, in which it is said that the latter
had neither preserved pen, ink, or paper, and had, in a great measure,
lost his language; consequently De Foe could not have received any
written assistance, and we have only the assertion of his enemies to
prove that he had any verbal.

The great success of Robinson Crusoe induced its author to write a
number of other lives and adventures, some of which were popular in
their times, though at present nearly forgotten. One of his latest
publications was "A Tour through the Island of Great Britain," a
performance of very inferior merit; but De Foe was now the garrulous
old man, and his spirit (to use the words of an ingenious biographer)
"like a candle struggling in the socket, blazed and sunk, blazed and
sunk, till it disappeared at length in total darkness." His laborious
and unfortunate life was finished on the 26th of April, 1731, in' the
parish of St. Giles's, Cripplegate.

Daniel De Foe possessed very extraordinary talents; as a commercial
writer, he is fairly entitled to stand in the foremost rank among his
contemporaries, whatever may be their performances or their fame. His
distinguishing characteristics are originality, spirit, and a profound
knowledge of his subject, and in these particulars he has seldom been
surpa