[DeFoe, Daniel?]
Memoirs of a Cavalier: or a Military Journal of the Wars in Germany and the Wars in England from the Year 1632 to the Year 1648 (London: A. Bell/ J. Osborn/ W. Taylor/ T. Warner, 1720).

MEMOIRS| OF A| CAVALIER:| OR A| Military Journal| OF| The WARS in GERMANY,| AND| The WARS in ENGLAND;| From the Year 1632, to the Year 1648.| Written Threescore Years ago by an English| Gentleman, who served first in the Army of| Gustavus Adolphus, the glorious King of Sweden,| till his Death; and after that, in the Royal Ar-|my of King Charles the First, from the Begin-|ning of the Rebellion, to the End of that War.| [rule]| LONDON:| Printed for A. Bell at the Cross Keys in Cornhill,| J. Osborn at the Oxford Arms in Lombard-Street,| W. Taylor at the Ship and Swan, and T. Warner| at the Black Boy in Pater-Noster-Row.

Description

titlepage/ [6] pp. preface/ p.[1]-338/ 8°.

Shelf-marks

{L: G.13279} {L: 195.a.5 [øtitlepage]} {NA:MH: EC7/D3623/720m} {NA:IU: x823/D36mc/1720}.

Bibliographical Reference

J. R. Moore (1960), p.175: 434. - ESTC: t069689.

Author

J. R. Moore (1960), p.175: 434: Defoe, Daniel.

History of Publication

	a	Memoirs of a Cavalier: or a Military Journal of the Wars in Germany and the Wars in England from the Year 1632 to the Year 1648 (London: A. Bell/ J. Osborn/ W. Taylor/ T. Warner, 1720). [Advertised in The Post Boy (24 May 1720).
	b	[...] (Leeds: J. Lister/ J. Scofield/ S.Newton/ Lord/ W.Edwards/ Warren, [1750]): {L: 838.c.2}.
	c	[...] (Edinburgh, 1759).
	d	[...] (Edinburgh, 1766).
	e	[...] (Newark, 1782).
	f	[...] (London: F. Noble, 1784).
	g	[...] (London, 1792).
	h	[...] new edition edited by J. T. Boulton (1978).

Self-classification

titlepage: "Memoirs"; p.A2: "Memorials".

Remarks

Memoirs of an English officer who claims to have fought in the 30-year war for Gustavus Adolphus and who continued his work in the civil war action - fighting here vor Charles I. Mainly a chronology of the actions (p.127/327:) with proclamations of the texts autheticity. Remarks on the great protagonists, episodes of the actions, brillant coups, p.248 ff: an episode with the hero as spy in peasant's cloths. No mistresses, no amours. The civil war allows for a new British nationalism, with which the mercenyry judges. Comparison of Charles I., who allows his courtiers and clerics to decide on the actions, and Gustaphus Adolphus who personally commanded his soldiers. Rough analysis of political mistakes committed by Charles I. The officer speaks against the ousting of the king yet he admires the attitude of his enemies as fighters for their cause - special admiration for the Scotts (p.156/321). Number mysticism at the end (p.329 ff.: a list of numerous political mistakes and crimes and the dates on which they were committed which remarkably preceded the deaths of the respective historical heroes). The speaker's attitudes afford a careful interpretation - he himself repeatedly stating how little he reflected his own position at the time).

Literature

[On the author and his sources:] W. Secord (1924).

J. C. Major (1935).

W. Secord (1961).

J. T. Boulton (1978).

J. Mullan (1991).

o.s.