To follow the fortunes of 'Robinson Cnisoe' after 1719 would require a large volume. Here only a few salient facts can be given. At least three additional authorized reprintings were needed before Defoe died in 1731, quaint il lustrations were introduced, several abridg ments appeared, one of which, apparently made by Defoe himself and covering all three parts, went through numerous editions during the next hundred years, the three parts were trans lated into Dutch, French and German, and a large number of imitations made unsuccessful attempts to rival the popularity of the original, although in some cases attaining themselves considerable vogue. The story took root more strongly perhaps in Germany than in any other foreign country, but it was and remained very popular in France, and before many years had elapsed Italians also could read it in their native tongue. It has since been translated into all sorts of languages and dialects, it has fas cinated Arabs, it is taught to school children in our island possessions and it is accessible in Esperanto. One of the largest collections of "Crusoes? that of Mr. William S. Lloyd of Philadelphia, contains some 400 volumes, but .unrecorded issues in English and in other tongues are continually coming to light. Some of the modern editions are true works of art, very distinguished artists, especially in France, having striven to illustrate adequately so famous a book.
It has naturally attracted also both scholars and literary critics and gossips, with the usual darkening of counsel. It may fairly be said that scarcely one of the numerous stories and speculations about Defoe and his chief book will bear investigation. He cannot be shown to have made misuse of Selkirk's papers, it is highly unlikely, to say the least, that Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, had anything to do with writing the first part, it is far from cer tain that Defoe had any difficulty in gelling that part published, it could not possibly have been written at most of the places assigned for its composition, and was probably thrown off hastily at Defoe's house at Stoke Newing ton not long before it was issued, and, finally, all attempts to see in the book a serviceable allegory of Defoe's life, however much sup port they may receive from his sophisticated prefaces, are likely to prove valueless and not a little absurd. The truth is that scarcely any thing definite is known about the origin of the great story except that it is clearly Defoe's, since it was assigned to him by fellow-journal ists of the time, and since in all three parts, from first page to last, the minute student finds the stylistic evidence of his authorship over whelming, and that doubtless the occasion for Defoe's attempting to describe the life of a shipwrecked sailor upon a far-off deserted island was the publication of accounts by Capt. Woodes Rogers, Capt. Edward Cooke, Sir Richard Steele and others of the strange adventures of the Scotch sailor Alexander Sel kirk or Selcraig, during a more than four years' solitary sojourn on the island of Juan Fer nandez off the coast of Chile. That this is not Crusoe's island the very title-page of the book plainly shows — many persons, inquisitive in small matters, seem to be unduly positive that Tobago should have that honor — but it is about as clear as such things can ever be that poor Selkirk's story influenced Defoe. He may have taken hints from the experiences of other castaways and from other narratives of travel, also — indirectly if at all — from Grimniels-, hausen's 'Der abenteuerliche Simplicissimus and from a Dutch story, Hendrick Smeeks' van het magtig Koningrijk Krinkle Kesmes' • but in the main most of the tsourcesp for the masterpiece discovered by indefatigable scholars are imaginary or at best barely possible, and (Robinson Crusoe,> like Lost' and many of Shakespeare's plays, may truly be said to derive its great ness from the appeal of its subject matter and from its author's own genius. It is doing Defoe
no injustice to say that, on the whole, it is the exceptional interest attaching to the central part, the island portion, of the first volume of Crusoe> that has contributed most to giving the story its extraordinary currency. The third volume, the (Serious Reflections,' while not without merit, has been but seldom reprinted and is little known. The second volume, The Farther Adventures,' possesses more merit and has been many times reprinted to accomplish the first, but it is seldom specially in mind when the book is mentioned. Even the extra-island of the first volume— the experiences in Africa and Brazil and the con duding journey through Spain—good of their kind though they are — do little to make the book impressive. What profoundly impresses us is the frightful loneliness, the struggle of the ordinary sailor-hero against what seem to be overwhelming odds, his final success, although his endowments, except perhaps in physical resistance, are no higher than we may well suppose our own to be. Our sympathy and our curiosity -- two mighty elements in the success of a book if the. author can but arouse than thoroughly—are brought into play from the shipwreck to the departure, although some may experience a slight flagging of interest after the life with Friday has been described. ((Would I have thought of doing that is the question, however egotistical, that continually presents itself, and in reflecting upon it we can legiti mately bring Defoe in for a high share in the praise we bestow on his book. (Robinson Crusoe> through the universality of its appeal has much of the carrying power of the world's greatest poems, but Defoe, although possessed of more imagination than is often given credit for, was not a great poet. He was, how ever, as a journalist and much experienced, ver satile and wideawake man, endowed with quali ties that stood him in good stead when he be gan his book at a remarkably late period in life for the inception of new literary enter prises. His English, if careless, was easy and unaffected, his methods of narration were straightforward, and he had not only a very large knowledge of character and of the de tails of life but an exceptional power of lend ing vividness and reality to whatever he de scribed. This last he attained chiefly through a skilful use of minute features and circum stances, which beguile the reader into belief of all lie is told. It may be at bottom a jour nalistic faculty, but, as Defoe seems to be the only professional journalist who has a (Robin son Crusoe,> a (Moll Flanders,' and a nal the Plague Year> to his credit, it would seem either that he was a good deal more than a journalist, or else that critics need to revise their notions as to what the term ajournalistie should connote.