D DEFOE

Daniel Defoe was born in London in 166. He was a successful hosiery merchant. He served as a secret agent for William III and single-handedly produced the review, a pro-government newspaper. He turned to fiction late in life and published his firstimaginative work 'Robinson Crusoe' in 1719. Defoe had a great influence on the development of the English novel and many consider him to be the first true novelist. David Blewett is Professor of English at Mcmaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.