Chapter LXII. DEFOE—"ROBINSON CRUSOE" FOR more than a year and a
half Defoe remained in prison; then he was set free. A new
Government had come into power. It was pointed out to the Queen
that it was a mistake to make an enemy of so clever an author as
Defoe. Then he was set at liberty, but on condition that he
should use his pen to support the Government. So although Defoe
was now free to all seeming, this was really the beginning of
bondage. He was no longer free in mind, and by degrees he became
a mere hanger-on of Government, selling the support of his pen
to whichever party was in power. We cannot follow him through
all the twists and turns of his politics, nor through all his
ups and downs in life, nor mention all the two hundred and fifty
books and pamphlets that he wrote. It was an adventurous life he
led, full of dark and shadowy passages which we cannot
understand and so perhaps cannot pardon. But whether he sold his
pen or no we are bound to confess that Defoe's desire was
towards the good, towards