BOND, William; DEFOE, Daniel (formerly attrib.).

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The History of the Life and Adventures of Mr. Duncan Campbell, First editions of these major biographical sources for the deaf and mute soothsayer who became a cause célèbre in early Georgian London. Duncan Campbell (c. 1680-1730) established himself in London by reading a wealthy young widow's fortune in his own favour. He soon showed a similar capacity to ingratiate himself among the elites of early Georgian London, the History even winning him a presentation at court. Defoe and Campbell share an instinct for showmanship, but beyond that the Defoeian attribution of the History is hard to support - not least because the publisher was a known enemy of his. Defoe's frequently clandestine approach to publication has resulted in an ever-changing canon, and a tendency to conflate his style with early 18th-century literature more generally. The Secret Memoirs was published a year after his death in 1731.

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