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Cover of Dickory Cronke: The Dumb Philosopher, or, Great Britain's Wonder

Dickory Cronke: The Dumb Philosopher, or, Great Britain's Wonder

by Daniel Defoe (?–1731)

  • Free to read
  • 40 min read
  • 4 chapters
  • Reading level: College-level

"Dickory Cronke: The Dumb Philosopher, or, Great Britain's Wonder" by Daniel Defoe is a historical account written in the early 18th century. The book provides a fascinating exploration of the life of Dickory Cronke, who was born mute in Cornwall, England, and remained so for fifty-eight years until an unexpected development before his death. The narrative reflects on Cronke's interactions with the world, his reflections on life, and his philosophical insights, presenting him as a unique figure whose experiences speak to the deeper aspects of humanity and existence. The story chronicles Cronke's journey from a sickly child to a respected member of society despite his disability. His intelligence and wisdom stand out as he overcomes various adversities. After a life of service and solitude, he suddenly gains the ability to speak, leading to profound reflections on life, death, and spirituality. The book also includes his meditations on human conduct and prophetic observations about European affairs. Ultimately, Cronke's life serves as an emblem of virtue, morality, and philosophical contemplation, offering an insightful perspective on the human condition while culminating in a poignant account of his death and the legacy of his thoughts.

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  • Didactic fiction
  • Philosophers

Read the opening

Part I

Among the many strange and surprising events that help to fill the accounts of this last century, I know none that merit more an entire credit, or are more fit to be preserved and handed to posterity than those I am now going to lay before the public.

Dickory Cronke, the subject of the following narrative, was born at a little hamlet, near St. Columb, in Cornwall, on the 29th of May, 1660, being the day and year in which King Charles the Second was restored. His parents were of mean extraction, but honest, industrious people, and well beloved in their neighbourhood. His father's chief business was to work at the tin mines; his mother stayed at home to look after the children, of which they had several living at the same time. Our Dickory was the youngest, and being but a sickly child, had always a double portion of her care and tenderness.

It was upwards of three years before it was discovered that he was born dumb, the knowledge of which at first gave his mother great uneasiness, but finding soon after that he had his hearing, and all his other senses to the greatest perfection, her grief began to abate, and she resolved to have him brought up as well as their circumstances and his capacity would permit.

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Contents

  1. Preface
  2. Part I
  3. Part II
  4. Part III

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About this edition

This free edition of Dickory Cronke: The Dumb Philosopher, or, Great Britain's Wonder by Daniel Defoe comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #2051, released 2000-01-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Novels, British Literature, Philosophy & Ethics.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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