DEFOE, Daniel.

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Memoirs of the Church of Scotland, in four periods. First edition of one of Defoe's most substantial works on Anglo-Scottish religion, an eyewitness account of Scotland on the eve of the union. The Memoirs left a strong impression on the young Robert Louis Stevenson, who closed his first published work with an extensive quotation from the book.Following one of his many bankruptcies, Defoe was co-opted into government service under Robert Harley: one of his early tasks was to travel to Scotland to promote the proposed union. From 1706 to 1708, he built up many contacts, including a number in the Church of Scotland itself, as he assessed local opinion, infiltrated the press, and wrote much propaganda.As noted in the preface, the Memoirs date from this period, as Defoe navigated his own presbyterianism, that of the Church of Scotland, and their fear of any alteration to the status quo. Despite initial difficulties, Defoe remained a long-term supporter of the kirk: publication of the Memoirs in 1717 was intended to support the Scottish campaign to repeal certain infringements against the Church since the union.

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