Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Daniel Defoe, Vol. 3: His Life and Recently Discovered Writings
Public Spirit, in modern as compared with ancient times, is a very able performance.
It Will be observed that on the oth November, in the same year, Defoe notices the then new practice of concealing the writers of public Journals; and alludes in general terms to Bishops, Noblemen, and other eminent persons, as being then among such writers. On several subsequent occasions be sufficiently indicates some of them, with the exception of the Duke of Wharton. I am not aware that it has ever been publicly known that men of rank were then active contributors to the periodical papers; yet a List of them would include Bishops Atterbury, and B. Hoadley; Dr. E. Young; Sir R. Walpole Lord Bolingbroke; the Duke of Ormond, and pro bably others.
The article for the Ist February, 1724, contains some severe strictures on the posthumous publication of the late Bishop Burnet's History of his own Times. In an ironical Essay against judicial Astrology, published the following week, will be found an amusing story how the Duke of Mantua sent the horoscope of a new born Mule to the most celebrated Astro logers in Italy, who supposing it to be that of a human being, answered accordingly. One of them, declaring it would be come a Bishop, our Author adds, he did not say he should write a History of his own Times. As the infirmities of age increased, I find in Defoe an increasing disposition towards grave subjects, and this pervades even his satires, often giving a peculiar fineness to the exercise of a faculty possessed by him in a pre-eminent degree. I think there will also be observed in this Volume a growing tendency to criticise the labours of distinguished contemporaries. This Will be seen in his Essay of the 18th of April, 1724, on the Choice of a Subject, wherein he severely satirizes the inconsistent composition of the London Journal, and the impropriety of Bishop Hoadley being the re sponsible Writer thereof. The Bishop's general signature, as a News-writer, was Britannicus, and it will be found that Defoe returns to the charge on the 1lth of J uly following, and several times subsequently.
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