The importance of the Morrell narratives in the development of English fiction lies mainly in their deft combinations of the real and the picaresque and in their conscious effort to unify the action, draw out the humour, or handle realistic talk and setting. But the narratives also look backward to an older type, the picaresque. William Morrell makes his printed appearance as the new picaro. The title _Diego Redivivus_ (i.e. James Revived) had overtones of the sensationally picaresque. The witty pseudonym "Don Diego Puede-Ser" had been used by James Mabbe in his translation (1623) of Aleman's _Vita del Picaro Guzman_;[7] and more recent in English memories were the exploits of James Hind, the English Rogue. In the Dedication, _The Notorious Impostor_ describes itself as "_the Life of our English_ Guzman" and later promises to "paint our new _Guzman_ in some of his boldest and fairest Colours." But the picaresque traditions have shaded into one another. For Morrell is not simply the new Guzman; he is also Hudibras and, in _The Second Part_, Don Quixote. Still another reason for the importance of the Morrell narratives is their consciousness of fictional techniques and theory. In _Diego Redivivus_, for example, the final deception is meticulously developed with closely-woven incidents which do not appear elsewhere. The motives of the characters, too, are sharply defined; and the action is unified by the two references to oath-taking (pp. 2-3). The anonymous author, at the outset, stresses the value of "the Particulars ... no disacceptable Entertainment" (p. 1). Aware of theory, he specifies that Morrell created "some Romantick narrative" to explain his poverty (p. 4). In fictional technique, Elkanah Settle approaches a unified theme especially in _The Second Part of the Notorious Impostor_ and the "Comical Adventures" of _The Compleat Memoirs_ where the incidents are mainly of one kind--matrimonial. Theorizing appears, too, in Part One somewhat in the manner of Daniel Defoe: "we dare not venture to play the Historian any farther than certain Intelligence (which yet we have not received) can guide us, being resolved not to load our Rambles with Romance or Fiction, his Life being furnisht with matter sufficiently voluminous without the addition of Flourish or Fancy" (p. 27). This may be Settle's pointed reference to the "fiction" of _Diego Redivivus_.[8] He maintains, also, that he had to delay for a fortnight the publication of _The Second Part of the Notorious Impostor_ in order to be certain of its authenticity.