Born in London sometime in 1660 to James Foe, a chandler, and his wife, Daniel Defoe was originally educated for the Presbyterian ministry at the celebrated academy for Dissenters in Newington. The young Daniel's interests lay elsewhere, however, and around 1682 he established himself as a hosiery merchant. During the next ten years, Daniel Foe prospered: he married well and added the aristocratic 'De' to his name; his business expanded to include the wine trade and the importation of tobacco; he traveled extensively in Europe. Seduced by his success, Defoe launched a series of unwise business speculations that failed. In addition, he was taken to court for various underhanded dealings, including allegedly swindling his mother-in-law. By 1692 he was in debt to the tune of 17,000 pounds. Deprived of his business, and in need of a way to pay off his creditors and feed his family, Defoe turned to writing as a profession. ...