whatever nature, led him to Exeter, and other weftern towns, in Auguft, September, and October, 1705, a project was formed to fend him as a foldier to the army, at a time when footmen were taken from the coaches as recruits: but conscious of his being a Freeholder of England, and a Liveryman of London, he knew that fuch characters could not be violated, in this nation, with impunity. When fome of the Western Juftices, of more zeal of party than fense of duty, heard from his opponents of De Foe's journey, they determined to apprehend him as a vagabond; but our Author, who, among other qualities, had perfonal courage in a high degree, reflected, that to face danger is moft effectually to prevent it. In his absence, real fuits were commenced against him for fictitious debts: but De Foe advertised, that genuine claims he would fairly fatisfy. If all these uncommon circumftances had not been published in The Review, we fhould not have seen this striking picture of favage manners. So much more free are we at present, that the Editor of a newspaper, however obnoxious to any party, may travel peaceably about his affairs over England, without fear of interruption. Were a Juftice of Peace, from whatever motive, to offer him any obftruction, fuch a magiftrate would be overwhelmed by the public indignation, and punished by the higher guardians of our quiet and our laws. De Foe began the year 1706 with A Hymn to Peace*; occafioned by the two Houfes of Parliament joining in one addrefs to the Queen. On the 4th of May he published An Effay at removing Published the 10th of January, 1705-6. National National Prejudices against an Union with Scotland. A few weeks after he gave the world a fecond effay, to foften rancour and defeat perverfity. But the time was now come, when he was to perform what he had often promised: and his fruitfulness produced in July 1706, Jure Divino, a fatire against tyranny and paffive obedience, which had been delayed, for fear, as he declares, of parliamentary cenfure. Of this poem, it cannot be faid, as of Thomfon's Liberty, that it was written to prove what no man ever denied. This fatire, fays the preface, had never been published, though fome of it has been a long time in being, had not the world feemed to be going mad a fecond time with the error of paffive obedience, and non-refiftance. And becaufe fome men require, fays he, more explicit anfwers, I declare my belief, that a monarchy, according to the prefent conftitution, limited by Parliament, and depends ent upon law, is not only the best government in the world, but alfo the best for this nation in particular, most fuitable to the genius of the people, and the circumftances of the whole body. Dryden had given an example, a few years before, of argumentative poetry in his Hind and Panther; by which he endeavoured to defend the tenets of the Church of Rome. Our author now reafoned in rhyme, through twelve books, in defence of every man's birth-right by nature, when all forts of liberty were run down and oppofed. His purpofe is doubtlefs honefter than Dryden's; and his argument, being in fupport of the betier caufe, is perhaps fuperior in ftrength: but in the Jure Divino we look in vain for The varying verfe, the full-refounding line, Our author was foon after engaged in more important, because much more useful, bufinefs. Lord Godolphin, who knew how to difcriminate charac ters, determined to employ him on an errand, which, as he fays, was far from being unfit for a Sovereign to direct, or an honest man to perform. By his Lordship he was carried to the Queen, who faid to him, while he kiffed her hand*, that he had fuch fatisfaction in his former fervices, that he had again appointed him for another affair, which was fomething nice, but the treasurer would tell him the reft. In three days he was fent to Scotland. His knowledge of commerce and revenue, his powers of infinuation, and above all his readiness of pen, were deemed of no fmall utility in promoting the Union. He arrived at Edinburgh, in October 1706. And we fhall find him no inconfiderable actor in the performance of that greatest of all good works. He attended the committees of Parliament, for whofe ufe he made feveral of the calculations † on the fubject of trade and taxes. He complains ‡, however, that when afterwards fome clamour was raised upon the inequality of the proportions, and the contrivers began to be blamed, and a little threatened a-la-mob, then it was D. F. § made it all, and he was to be ftoned for it. He endeavoured to confute || all that * Appeal, p. 16. ‡ Ibid. p. 379. See his History of the Union, p. 401. $ Daniel Foe. He had two names through life; and even when letters of administration were granted on his perfonal eftate, fome time after his death, De Foe is added with an otherwife. We might thence infer, that his father's name was Foe, if we had not now better evidence of the fact. Ibid. 223. was was published by Webfter, and Hodges, and the other writers in Scotland against the Union: and he had his share of danger, fince, as he fays, he was watched by the mob; had his chamber windows infulted; but, by the prudence of his friends, and GOD's providence, he escaped *. In the midft of this great fcene of business and tumult, he collected the documents, which he afterwards published for the inftruction of pofterity, with regard to one of the most difficult, and, at the fame time, the most fortunate, transactions, in our annals. During all thofe labours and risques, De Foe pub. lished, in December 1706, Caledonia, a Poem, in honour of the Scots nation. This poetic effay, which was intended to rescue Scotland from Лlander in opinion, Caledonia herself bade him dedicate to the Duke of Queensberry. Befide other benefactions, the Commiffioner gave the author, whom he calls Daniel De Foe, Efquire, an exclufive privilege to fell his encomiaftic trains for feven years, within the country of his celebration. Amidst our Author's bufy occupations at Edinburgh, he was anxious to affure the world, that wherever the wri ter may be, the Reviews are written with his own hand; no perfon having, or ever had, any concern in writing them, but the known author, D. F. On the 16th of January, the act of Union was paffed. by the Scots Parliament; and De Foe returned to London, in February 1706-7. While he thus acted importantly at Edinburgh, he formed con *History of the Union, p. 239. nexions nexions with confiderable perfons, who were proud of his future correfpondence, and profited from his political interefts *. How our Author was rewarded by the ministers who derived a benefit from those services, and from that danger, as he does not tell, cannot now be known. Before his departure for Scotland, indeed, Lord Godolphin, as he acknowledges t, obtained for him the continuance of an appointment, which her Majefty, by the interpofition of his first benefactor, had been pleased to make him, in confideration of a former fervice, in a foreign country, wherein he run as much risque as a grenadier on the counter-fcarp. As he was too prudent to disclofe his fecret fervices, they must at prefent remain undifcovered. Yet is there reason to think that he had a penfion rather than an office, fince his name is not in the red book of the Queen; and he folemnly avers, in his Appeal, that he had not intereft enough with Lord Oxford * Lord Buchan was fo obliging as to communicate the fubjoined extract of a letter to his Lordship's grandfather, the Earl of Buchan, from De Foe, dated the 29th of May, 1711:-" The perfon, with whom I endeavoured to plant the intereft of your LordShip's friend, has been strangely taken up, fince I had that occafion; viz. firft, in fuffering the operation of the furgeons to heal the wound of the affaffin; and fince, in accumulating honours from Parliament, the Queen, and the people. On Thursday evening her Majefty created him Earl Mortimer, Earl of Oxford, and Lord Harley of Wigmore: and we expect that to-morrow in council he will have the white staff given him by the Queen, and be declared Lord High Treasurer. I wrote this yesterday; and this day, May the 29th, he is made Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain, and carried the white staff before the Queen this morning to chapel. † Appeal, p. 16. to |