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The True-Born Englishman: A Satyr
The True-Born A Satyr is a political poem written by Daniel Defoe in 1701. The poem is a satirical attack on English prejudice and xenophobia towards immigrants, particularly towards Dutch immigrants who had settled in England. The poem argues that the English themselves are not truly ""pure"" and ""native"" but are in fact a mixture of various ethnicities and cultures, and that immigrants have contributed greatly to English society and culture. Defoe uses humor and irony to expose the hypocrisy and ignorance of those who hold anti-immigrant views. The poem was widely popular and influential in its time and is considered a landmark work of English satire.Drunk'nness, the Darling Favourite of Hell, Chose Germany to Rule; and Rules so well, No Subjects more obsequiously obey, None please so well, or are so pleas'd as they. The cunning Artist manages so well, He lets them Bow to Heav'n, and Drink to Hell. If but to Wine and him they Homage pay.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1701
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About the author
Daniel Defoe
5,696 books1,999 followersDaniel Defoe was an English novelist, journalist, merchant, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its number of translations. He has been seen as one of the earliest proponents of the English novel, and helped to popularise the form in Britain with others such as Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson. Defoe wrote many political tracts, was often in trouble with the authorities, and spent a period in prison. Intellectuals and political leaders paid attention to his fresh ideas and sometimes consulted him.
Defoe was a prolific and versatile writer, producing more than three hundred works—books, pamphlets, and journals—on diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural. He was also a pioneer of business journalism and economic journalism.
Defoe was a prolific and versatile writer, producing more than three hundred works—books, pamphlets, and journals—on diverse topics, including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural. He was also a pioneer of business journalism and economic journalism.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 16, 2024
No sé qué ha dicho
September 22, 2018
A true-born Englishman’s a contradiction,
In speech an irony, in fact a fiction.
A banter made to be a test of fools,
Which those that use it justly ridicules.
A metaphor invented to express
A man a-kin to all the universe.
The True-Born Englishman is a satirical poem published in 1701 by Daniel Defoe defending the then King of England William, who was Dutch-born, against xenophobic attacks by his political enemies, and ridiculing the notion of English racial purity. [wikipedia]
I actually didn't know what the poem was about when I picked it up. Someone had shared a few stanzas, and I liked the witty language, so I wanted to read the whole thing. I should probably read more older poetry like this; I don't like the modern stuff, which is often too abstract, has no structure, and seems to exist only to display certain emotions in the vaguest terms possible. But I enjoy poetry like this, which uses rhyme and rhythm and meter, and which tells a story. Granted, this one is not the best I've seen - DeFoe himself says in his preface that he wrote it hastily in response to events of that time, and thus didn't have time to polish it - but it is quite good nonetheless. I enjoyed the poetry very much, and I also learned a bit about the history of this period. I love history, so I was delighted to find out I was reading a historical poem. (Well, for DeFoe it was current events, but it's history now.)
Full text of the poem can be found here: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/true-...
and here: http://www.luminarium.org/editions/tr...
(The first link is just the poem. The second link includes a preface by the author, which I also found interesting.)
He writes, ...an Englishman, of all men, ought not to despise foreigners as such...since what they are to-day, we were yesterday, and to-morrow they will be like us. If foreigners misbehave in their several stations and employments, I have nothing to do with that; the laws are open to punish them equally with natives, and let them have no favour.
But when I see the town full of lampoons and invectives against Dutchmen only because they are foreigners, and the King reproached and insulted by insolent pedants, and ballad-making poets for employing foreigners, and for being a foreigner himself, I confess myself moved by it to remind our nation of their own original, thereby to let them see what a banter is put upon ourselves in it, since, speaking of Englishmen ab origine, we are really all foreigners ourselves.
He also goes on to say that, not only is the notion of purity nonsensical, but it's not even desirable, because the influx of "the multitudes of foreign nations who have taken sanctuary here have been the greatest additions to the wealth and strength of the nation." A good thing to keep in mind.
In speech an irony, in fact a fiction.
A banter made to be a test of fools,
Which those that use it justly ridicules.
A metaphor invented to express
A man a-kin to all the universe.
The True-Born Englishman is a satirical poem published in 1701 by Daniel Defoe defending the then King of England William, who was Dutch-born, against xenophobic attacks by his political enemies, and ridiculing the notion of English racial purity. [wikipedia]
I actually didn't know what the poem was about when I picked it up. Someone had shared a few stanzas, and I liked the witty language, so I wanted to read the whole thing. I should probably read more older poetry like this; I don't like the modern stuff, which is often too abstract, has no structure, and seems to exist only to display certain emotions in the vaguest terms possible. But I enjoy poetry like this, which uses rhyme and rhythm and meter, and which tells a story. Granted, this one is not the best I've seen - DeFoe himself says in his preface that he wrote it hastily in response to events of that time, and thus didn't have time to polish it - but it is quite good nonetheless. I enjoyed the poetry very much, and I also learned a bit about the history of this period. I love history, so I was delighted to find out I was reading a historical poem. (Well, for DeFoe it was current events, but it's history now.)
Full text of the poem can be found here: https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/true-...
and here: http://www.luminarium.org/editions/tr...
(The first link is just the poem. The second link includes a preface by the author, which I also found interesting.)
He writes, ...an Englishman, of all men, ought not to despise foreigners as such...since what they are to-day, we were yesterday, and to-morrow they will be like us. If foreigners misbehave in their several stations and employments, I have nothing to do with that; the laws are open to punish them equally with natives, and let them have no favour.
But when I see the town full of lampoons and invectives against Dutchmen only because they are foreigners, and the King reproached and insulted by insolent pedants, and ballad-making poets for employing foreigners, and for being a foreigner himself, I confess myself moved by it to remind our nation of their own original, thereby to let them see what a banter is put upon ourselves in it, since, speaking of Englishmen ab origine, we are really all foreigners ourselves.
He also goes on to say that, not only is the notion of purity nonsensical, but it's not even desirable, because the influx of "the multitudes of foreign nations who have taken sanctuary here have been the greatest additions to the wealth and strength of the nation." A good thing to keep in mind.
December 16, 2014
An amazing piece of anti-xenophobia writing which was written over 200 years ago. Nigel Farage should read it and get back in his xenophobic box.
October 28, 2017
To complain that Defoe is too whiggish is like complaining that Jackie Chan has too many fights atop speeding vehicles. "Whiggish" is what Defoe does. Nonetheless, I might complain that parts of this poem are better than others. Parts are very topical, and would need footnotes or granular knowledge of 1688 and all that. Parts are as true today as ever (for the USA if not the UK):
An Englishman is gentlest in command,
Obedience is a stranger in the land:
Hardly subjected to the magistrate;
For Englishmen do all subjection hate.
Humblest when rich, but peevish when they're poor,
And think whate'er they have, they merit more. [...]
Their liberty and property's so dear,
They scorn their laws or governors to fear;
So bugbear'd with the name of slavery,
They can't submit to their own liberty.
Restraint from ill is freedom to the wise!
But Englishmen do all restraint despise.
For whatever reason, the Kindle edition is formatted so that the left margin moves with each 'verse paragraph,' so that eventually parts of the poem
a
r
e
p
r
i
n
t
e
d
l
i
k
e
t
h
i
s.
... which, in plain Anglo-Saxon, is f'd up. Fortunately, this 're-sets' when a new part begins.
An Englishman is gentlest in command,
Obedience is a stranger in the land:
Hardly subjected to the magistrate;
For Englishmen do all subjection hate.
Humblest when rich, but peevish when they're poor,
And think whate'er they have, they merit more. [...]
Their liberty and property's so dear,
They scorn their laws or governors to fear;
So bugbear'd with the name of slavery,
They can't submit to their own liberty.
Restraint from ill is freedom to the wise!
But Englishmen do all restraint despise.
For whatever reason, the Kindle edition is formatted so that the left margin moves with each 'verse paragraph,' so that eventually parts of the poem
a
r
e
p
r
i
n
t
e
d
l
i
k
e
t
h
i
s.
... which, in plain Anglo-Saxon, is f'd up. Fortunately, this 're-sets' when a new part begins.
January 28, 2024
It is amazing that three hundred years ago, Daniel Defoe rebuked English pretenses to racial purity and exceptional virtue in words that we could transpose to America today! The Introduction and Part I could be addressed to MAGA with only the names of immigrant groups changed.
As for the rest, it is witty in ways I didn’t expect, but you have to study up on the Stuarts and the Glorious Revolution to catch all the details. Still, I didn’t know the author of Robinson Crusoe could sound like the author of A Modest Proposal.
(I heard of this poem because Jeremy Proctor, in Death of a Colonial, picks it up at a bookstore when he is supposed to be searching for a murderer!)
As for the rest, it is witty in ways I didn’t expect, but you have to study up on the Stuarts and the Glorious Revolution to catch all the details. Still, I didn’t know the author of Robinson Crusoe could sound like the author of A Modest Proposal.
(I heard of this poem because Jeremy Proctor, in Death of a Colonial, picks it up at a bookstore when he is supposed to be searching for a murderer!)
November 1, 2020
Line by line, a stunning masterpiece that echos into the 21st century.
November 19, 2024
No entendí mucho pero siento que me gustó
August 11, 2025
Fame built on solid virtue swifter flies Than morning light can spread on eastern skies
December 16, 2014
Great content but the edition is terrible; almost unreadable.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews