INTRODUCTION.

 

E FOE published “ Robinson Crusoe” in 1719, under
the following quaint title: “The Life and Strange Sur-
1K prising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Ma-
: yiner: who lived eight-and-twenty years all alone in an
uninhabited island on the coast of America, near the
mouth of the great river Oroonoque; having been cast on
shore by shipwreck, wherein all the men perished but
himself. With an account how he was at last strangely
delivered by Pirates. Written by himself.”

Like “Paradise Lost,” this romance, destined to so immediate and
lasting a popularity, is said to have been offered to “the whole circle of
the trade” before any publisher could be found willing to incur the risk
of producing it. Its success however was so great that four editions
were printed in as many months. It appeared, in the first instance, with
the following preface :—

  
 

If ever the story of any private man’s adventures in the world were worth making
public, and were acceptable when published, the Editor of this account thinks this
will be so.

The wonders of this man’s life excced all that (he thinks) is to be found extant;
the life of one man being scarce capable of a greater variety.

The story is told with modesty, with seriousness, and with a religious application
of events to the uses to which wise men always apply them; viz., to the instruction
of others, by this example, and to justify and honor the wisdom of Providence in all
the variety of circumstances, let them happen how they will.

The Editor believes the thing to be a just history of fact; neither is there any
appearance of fiction in it: and however thinks, because all such things are dispfted,
that the improvement of it, as well to the diversion as to the instruction of the
reader, will be the same; and as such, he thinks, without farther compliment to the

world, he does them a great service in the publication.

The great success of the first part induced De Foe to write a second,
which was published in August, 1719; Part I. having appeared in the
previous April. A map of the world accompanied it, to give a greater
appearance of truth to the tale, on which the travels of Crusoe were
indicated, and its proper place assigned to the island.

Author's preface to the 2d Part:—

The success the former part of this work has met with in the world’ has yet been

no other than is acknowledged to be due to the surprising variety of the subject, and
to the agreeable manner of the performance. .

The just application of every incident, the religious and useful inferances drawn: : |

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