Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-09-18
A(tsteIl0neous.
Daniel De Foe,
AUTHOR OF ROBINSON CRUSOE.

mo sooner, however, was lne authorship OF tne
satire ("Shortest way with the dssenters') tFaced
to De Foe, than storm burst uponl his head
The High Flyers were ashamed at hayingsbeen
50 thoroughly deceived, and vexed at having
their designs so discovered and given to the
world by an Independent; and they reflected
how they had applauded the book, and as they
were now obliged to condemn it, so they were
hampered between doing so and pursuing their
rage at the dissenters. The greater part of them,
in order to condemn the author, condemned the
iples, for it was impossible to do one with.
out the other and they labored in print and in
the pulpit to clear their church of the SANDER.
But this still answered the writer's end for, the
more they censured the practices he recommend
ed, the more they condemned such wretches as
their pet Sacheverell. But he had wounded the
tenderest part of these mems human nature, and
few men can pardon wound in their self -es-
TEEN. They might have overlooked or answer
ed an insult, but he made them laughing stocks
to themselves, and the very discovery of this
made them laughing stocks to the world. So
they resolved to punish him. A reward of fifty
pounds was offered for his apprehension and
his pamphlet was burned by the hangman. He
wrote defence, but ii availed nothing. His
printers were arrested, and he, to save them,
gave himself up to the law, which treated him
with the utmost cruelty. He was tried at the
Old Baily, in June, J703, having lain in prison
six months. He was advised to plead guilty,
with many half promises that if he abstai ned
from defending himself he would find mercy
In this his own lawyers concurred, and he ac.
cordingly did so. But it was snare. He was
found guilty there was no recommendation to
mercy; and his sentence was-a fine of 200
marks, TO stand thrice in the pillory, to be I'M
prisoned during pleasure, and to find sureties for
seven years.
This Infamous sentence was sufficiently se-
we're in ITSELF But its consequences were still
severer; from being in respectable circumstan-
ces, ne was reduced 10 ruin. HIS pantife COM
pany was completely broken ups and he had no
other means of supporting his wife and children,
while in prison, than by his pen. Besides which,
he lost the countenance of many Of his friends,
who could not believe an innocent man would
be SO severely punished,
The brave man was not to be subdued by
grievances like these. He was put up in the
pillory at Temple Bal, in Cheapside, and at the
Royal Exchange, where every second man knew
him; but, by poem which he circulated among
the people, he turned the disgrace Of the punish
ment upon those who inflicted it. "Hail hier-
oglyphic state machine" he exclaimed, address
sing the pilloly,
"Contrived to punish fancy in"
Tell all the people that De Foe stands upon it !:
I" Because he too bold,
And told those truths which he should not have told
That TINS he is an example made,
To make men ftheir honesty afraid
Tell them the who placed them here
Are scandals to the the times,
Are at loss to find his guilt,
And can't commit his crimes 70
For this publication, however, the government
did not care to prosecute him, having already
gone too far that way
And now he turned with stern determination
to provide bread for his family. We cannot give
an abstract Of all he wrote in his Imprisonment
we shall only refer 10 some of the chief topics
In his " Reformation of Manners" he says Of the
slave traders, respecting their infamous traffic,
which had never before been censured: -
The harmless natl yes basely they trepan,
And barter baubles for the souls of man,
The wretches they to christian cmes bring o'er
To healhens than they served before.
Thus stepping so far in advance of his age in
this as in so many other things.
~.
His most extraordinary work, which he com
} menced and carried on in prison, was the 4 Re.
view," periodical which he at first issued once
then twice, and ultimately thrice week writing
the whole of it HIMSELF and continuing it for nine
years. This, independently of his other elabo-
rate works, written at the same time, is fac
unparalleled in the history of letters and con
sidering the variety, pahos, wit, and satire con
IuiHCu III ~ WOulu HuNC SClNCu, IL Huu lCll lit
other work as an impershable monument of hi,
genius.
In l704, his enemies administration ended
and Harley entered office, De Foes almos
t boundless talents and invention, although EN-
poyed under all the disadvantages of persona
captivity, had naturally drawn much attention tt
him. Many attempts had been made to win him
but in vain-he was not in the market; the,
= could not buy the ndomitabIe dssenter. Blu
h Harley was almost one of his own school, an,
= though he could not buy his services. he got hin
o set free from prison, and afterwards made use
tul public servant Of hun. He left newgate il
IS August of that year.
J. He retired with his family to the country, an
y continued his literary labors But malignity fol
s. lowed his there. lie was said to have stoe
e from Gus ody this he answered by offering him
sell to the officer, who said he had warran
against him. His works were reprinted in
e, garbled form. His reviews were stolen from th
/ cohee-houses to prevent their being read. Hi
rs debts were bought up that he might be prosecu
10 ted tie was s1mmoned before magistrates o.