ABSTRACT
Kirkman(1632-after1680)wastheeldestsonofablacksmith.Asthetitlepageof Theunluckycitizenproclaims,thebookisdesignedtoshow'thevariousmisfortunes ofanunluckyLondoner'- theauthorhimself.'InallthatIwrite',heclaims,'Iintend yourprofit,andthattheexamplesIgiveyoumayserveassea-markstoshowyou howtosteeryourcourse,soastoavoidthoserocksandshoalsthatIandothershave fallenupon'(1673:106).ButKirkman'slife-storyis'intermixedwithseveralchoice novels',and'storedwithvarietyofexamplesandadvice,precedentandprecept' (1673:titlepage).Thismakesforavaried,experimentaltext,whichmixesautobiography,anecdotes,moralreflections,andcautionarytales,andputsaccountsofothers' misadventuresalongsideKirkman'sown.Attimes,onecouldbereadingapicaresque novel,andKirkmanisclearlyseekingtowriteinaliteraryway;heworksatusing figurativelanguage,paceshisstory,andisconsciousoftheprocessofself-construction.Becauseheseemsself-awareasanauthor,andpublishedhisownbook,Ihave retainedtheitalicsheputintothetextforemphasis.Intheearlystagesofthebook, Kirkmanwritesatlengthabouthischildhoodpassionforchivalricromances,and, unlikeBoyle[4:4]orBaxter(1696:Part1,p.2),doesnotregardthisasdamaging, eventhoughheadmitshebelievedallhereadtobetrue.Hispreoccupationwiththe romancesledhim,asachild,toworkatAmadisdeGaulintheoriginal,learning Frenchashedidso;inlaterlifehetranslatedworksfromFrenchandItalian,aswell aswritingaromanceofhisown.By1661hewasinthebooktradeinLondon;hehad ashop,ranalibrary,andprintedplays,whichhelovedandcollectedvoraciously.The extractdescribeshisexperiencesasanapprentice;hisfatherpaid£30forFrancis's placewithascrivener(aprofessionalscribeorcopyist),withwhomheshouldhave servedeightyears.
