title: An Essay on the Original of Literature
author: Daniel Defoe
description: This modern reprint of <i>An Essay on the Original of Literature</i> has been produced without modernization of the text of 1726. Orthographic inconsistencies have not been emended. Further, the editors note Defoe's transcription from Thomas Bang's <i>Caelum Orientis</i> of 1657, but have made no attempt to revise the Latin portion of the <i>Essay</i> against the corresponding text in Bang's book. --The Archangul Foundation
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  # Daniel Defoe
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### William Minto
  
  
  This page formatted 2004 Munsey's.
  
  
  http://www.munseys.com
  
  PREFACE.
  
  
  CHAPTER I. DEFOE'S YOUTH AND EARLY PURSUITS.
  
  
  CHAPTER II. KING WILLIAM'S ADJUTANT.
  
  
  CHAPTER III. A MARTYR TO DISSENT?
  
  
  CHAPTER IV. THE REVIEW OF THE AFFAIRS OF FRANCE.
  
  
  
  
  
  CHAPTER V. THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE AND UNION.
  
  
  CHAPTER VI. DR. SACHEVERELL, AND THE CHANGE OF
  
  
  GOVERNMENT.
  
  
  CHAPTER VII. DIFFICULTIES IN RE-CHANGING SIDES.
  
  
  CHAPTER VIII. LATER JOURNALISTIC LABOURS.
  
  
  CHAPTER IX. THE PLACE OF DEFOE'S FICTIONS IN HIS
  
  
  LIFE.
  
  
  CHAPTER X. HIS MYSTERIOUS END.
  
  
  
  
  
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  Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Graeme Mackreth and the Online
  
  
  Distributed Proofreading Team.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  DANIEL DEFOE
  
  
  BY
  
  
  WILLIAM MINTO
  
  
  NEW YORK
  
  
  HARPER &BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS
  
  
  FRANKLIN SQUARE
  
  
  ENGLISH MEN OF LETTERS.
  
  
  EDITED BY JOHN MORLEY.
  
  
  
  
  
  PUBLISHED BY HARPER &BROTHERS, NEW YORK.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### PREFACE.
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
    
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