INTRODUCTION. 7 



him. Cobbett was certainly the greater man of genius. He 

 was greater as a man as well as a publicist, but he, like Arch, 

 was essentially an English peasant. Both had the peasant's 

 religious convictions. Both possessed strong domestic 

 virtues. Neither was in any sense a revolutionist, a dreamer ; 

 neither had any interest in economic theories ; but both were 

 born fighters and hated oppression. Both became Members 

 of Parliament. 



Cobbett possessed all the prejudices, the pugnacity of 

 John Bull. Stout of limb, girt in his dust-coloured coat 

 and drab breeches, with round and ruddy face, combative, 

 he stands before us a live man, a figure breathing English 

 manhood from his bull neck to his strong argumentative 

 chin, his firm upper lip and finely shaped mouth, his pugna- 

 cious nose, to his clear eye fired by a passion for justice and 

 lightened by a rapier glance of irony. 



Pie possessed the characteristics that made for popularity 

 at that time. He had served in the Army, and had speedily 

 risen to the rank of sergeant-major. He hated the French 

 with their " bloody revolution." He hated Jews, stock- 

 jobbers, and placemen. He defended bull-baiting ; he pro- 

 moted boxing ; he encouraged matches at single-stick ; 

 and he hunted. Heine regarded him as a Philistine, which 

 undoubtedly Cobbett was. 



He was a Toiy ; which meant that lie held by tradition 

 certain ideals of England and English government. A man 

 of shining honesty, he imagined that a government of men 

 who had been given every opportunity of culture must be in- 

 corruptible. Like most young soldiers he had hardly begun 

 to think politically. His disillusionment began when he 

 landed in England and tried to bring to light before a Court- 

 Martial the corrupt practices of certain officers in the com- 

 missariat department who plundered the poor private 

 soldier. 



On his first return from America after his romantic mar- 

 riage lie was entertained at dinner by Pitt and other Ministers 

 of State and offered the control of a Government organ. But 

 though Cobbett was then a Tory, he would not be bound to 

 any party ; and rich as the Government then was in secret 



