Daniel Defoe, An Appeal to Honour and Justice

Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1715

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Non-Fiction
- Autobiography (literary)

Resources

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The

Appeal

is the most sustained piece of writing about himself that Defoe produced, and is one of the few of his works that originally appeared under his name—so, not anonymous, or utilising a sobriquet like “the Author of the

Review

”. The full title is

An Appeal to Honour and Justice, tho’ it be of his Worst Enemies. By Daniel De Foe. Being a True Account of his Conduct in Publick Affairs

. It is a self-exonerating account of his career as a professional political writer, wherein Defoe adopts a rhetorical stance of moderation martyred, claiming that his good intentions have consistently been misconstrued by more partisan, less patriotic people.

This self-defence was necessitated by the political fall of Defoe’s patron, Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford, who headed Queen Anne’s

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1251 words

Citation: Seager, Nicholas. "An Appeal to Honour and Justice". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 February 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=28794, accessed 26 November 2024.]

Daniel Defoe, An Appeal to Honour and Justice

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