It put me upon reflecting how little repining there would be among mankind at any condition of life, if people would rather compare their condition with those that were worse, in order to be thankful, than be always comparing them with those which are better, to assist their murmurings and complaining.

The Latin edition of the book was entitled Philosophus Autodidactus and it was an earlier novel that is also set on a deserted island. By September 1706 Harley ordered Defoe to Edinburgh as a secret agent to do everything possible to help secure acquiescence in the Treaty of Union. He told Harley that he was "privy to all their folly" but "Perfectly unsuspected as with corresponding with anybody in England".

: /ˌdænjəl dɨˈfoʊ/; ca. He was also a pioneer of economic journalism. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and along with others such as Samuel Richardson is among the founders of the English novel.