68 



biographer, Chalmers, writes: — "The year 1705 was a year of 

 disquiet to De 'Foe, not so much from the oppressions of State as 

 from the persecutions of party. "When his business of whatever 

 nature led him to Exeter and other western towns in August, 

 September, and October, 1705, a project was formed to send him 

 as a soldier to the army, at a time when footmen were taken 



from the coaches as recruits When some of the 



Western justices, of more zeal of party than sense of duty, heard 

 from his opponents of De Foe's joiu-ney, they determined to 



apprehend him as a vagabond In his absence 



real suits were commenced against him for fictitious debts, &c." 



In his " Review, &c.," of July 17th, 1705, appears an 

 advertisement with reference to these suits : — "Whereas of meer 

 Malice, and with Design, among several other Mischiefs, to 

 Load the Author of this with Entangling Suits, and Excess of 

 Charges, several Actions have been Entred and Suits Com- 

 menced, some on Account of Trifles not worth naming, some for 

 Debts after they are fairly Paid and Discharged, and some in 

 Names of persons unknown to and unconcerned with the 



Author, who is made Defendant, &c if any real 



Debt can be made appear, for which such Actions are Entred 

 he promises either to ]3ay, or volujitarily to go to Prison tiU he 

 can Pay them." 



A variety of motives probably actuated De Poe in undertaking 

 his journey westward, where, as he writes, " he suffered danger 

 through the proceedings of foolish justices." His own business, 

 that of a tile-manufacturer, might have led him in that direction 

 in quest of suitable clay for his wares ; moreover, he had the 

 inducement of visiting his two daughters living in Wimborne, 

 one Henrietta, the wife of John Boston, officer of Excise, the 

 other Hannah, unmarried ; both of whom now lie buried in the 

 Minster. 



But probably his chief reason for undertaking his 1,100 miles' 

 ride was the acceptance of a commission from his friend Harley 

 to visit the small and numerous Western Boroughs, in order to 

 promote the election of Ministerial parliamentary candidates. 



