DeFoe, Robinson Crusoe (1719):Introduction

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A Note on the Text

The present edition of Daniel DeFoe's Robinson Crusoe follows the first edition as published by William Taylor, London, 1719, copy of the British Library, shelf-mark: C.30.f.6, ESTC T072264, 18th Century Microfilm reel 6536, Eighteenth Century Collections Online. The html-text is, however, not fully revised yet (you can safely quote pages 1-142 and 190-200). The editors appreciate all emendations. Use the discussion page to leave notes or mailto:olaf.simons@pierre-marteau.com.

The Marteau edition offers:

  • reproductions of the frontispiece, title page and graphical elements (ornaments and initials) of the first edition,
  • the original spelling and punctuation with all pecularities and signs of careless work (marginal notes will offer corrections and variants; we have, however, just begun this work),
  • the original paragraph formatting,
  • page references to the copy text of the first edition (which will allow you to quote the text).

Standard mistakes of the type setting (like blanks where individual letter did not reach the paper or the occasional n for u) have been corrected, while square brackets indicate these emendations throughout. All other "mistakes" are reproduced to allow you to see the text as first readers saw it — explanatory notes provided by the editors give you "correct" versions and appear as marginal notes in the frameset.

Note that this is work in progress and be patient with
your most humble EDITORS.