12() WILLIAM COBBETT 



paper/ that should advocate popular, that is, Radical 

 measures. He also bore a conspicuous part at all county 

 and other meetings ; and, by presenting himself as a 

 candidate for a close borough, where he knew he had not 

 a shadow of a chance of being returned, he at least gained 

 notoriety. By a fair share of oratory, and by constantly 

 disputing the power of the aristocracy, he became popular 

 among the less learned but more opulent and really 

 independent yeomen, who were then growing into im- 

 portance. By these means he had gained their good 

 opinion, as, by his bland and familiar manner and his 

 unostentatious hospitality, he had their goodwill ; and an 

 opportunity occurring shortly after the introduction I am 

 about to speak of, he Avas placed by them in a situation 

 that curbed his Radical propensities, while his talents 

 and services recommended him to the interests of some 

 members of that aristocracy whose political acts and 

 opinions he had lavishly abused. 



William Cobbett was a very unpopular man in his 

 neighbourhood the short time he lived at Botley, chiefly 

 arising from his innate dislike to the aristocracy and their 

 amusements. One day, I remember, when, with the late 

 Mr. Delme's hounds, meeting at "\Yickham Toll-bar, we 

 had run a fox hard in a most difficult country. Three or 

 four of us, all well mounted, followed a bold rider up a 

 steep high bank out of a hard flinty lane, and landed in 

 a fallow adjoining ]\Ir. Cobbett's house and garden, which 

 was surrounded Avith a very high fence ; consequently, 

 we trotted up to the gate that led in the direction of our 

 game. This we found chained and locked, with long ash 



^ The Independent Press. 



