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　　Papermoney，hefoundout，wasatthebottomofitall；forpapermoneywastheoutwardandvisiblesymbolofagiganticsystemofcorruptionandjobbery。Itrepresentedthedevicebywhichthehard-earnedwagesofthelabourerwerebeingsomehowconjuredawayintothepocketsofJewsandstockjobbers。Theclasseswhichprofitedbythisatrocioussystemformedwhathecalledthe’thing’——thehuge，indicatecombinationofknaveswhichwasbeingdenouncedbytheRadicals——thoughwithadifference。

　　Cobbettcouldjointhereformersinsofaras，likethem，hethoughtthattherottenboroughswereavitalpartofthesystem。Hemeetsamiserablelabourercomplainingofthe’hardtimes。’Theharvesthadbeengood，butitsblessingswerenotforthelabourer。That’accursedhill，’saysCobbett，pointingtooldSarum，’iswhathasrobbedyouofyoursupper。’108Thelabourerrepresentedtheclasswhosebloodwasbeingsucked。

　　Sofar，then，astheRadicalswereassailingtheboroughmongers，Cobbettcouldbetheircordialally。

　　Twoyears’imprisonmentforlibelembitteredhisfeelings。Inthedistresswhichsucceededthepeace，Cobbett’svoicewasforatimeloudestinthegeneralhubbub。HereducedthepriceofhisRegister，andhis’two-pennydash’reachedacirculationof25，000or30，000copies。Hebecameapowerintheland，andanticipatedtheimmediatetriumphofreform。Thedaywasnotyet。Sidmouth’smeasuresofrepressionfrightenedCobbetttoAmericaMarch1819，wherehewrotehishistoryofthe’lasthundreddaysofEnglishliberty。’Hereturnedinacoupleofyears，damagedinreputationandbrokeninfortune；butonlytocarryonthewarwithindomitableenergy，althoughwitharecklessnessandextravagancewhichalienatedhisalliesandloweredhischaracter。Hetriedtocoverhiserrorsbybragsandbombast，whichbecameridiculous，andwhichareyetnotwithoutsignificance。

　　CobbettcamebackfromAmericawiththerelicsofPaine。Paine，theobjectofhisabuse，hadbecomehisidol，notbecauseCobbettcaredmuchforanyabstractpoliticaltheories，orforreligiousdogmas。Paine’smeritwasthathehadattackedpapermoney。

　　ToCobbett，astoPaine，itseemedthatEnglishbanknotesweregoingthewayofFrenchassignatsandtheprovincialcurrencyoftheAmericans。Thisbecameonemaintopicofhistirades，andrepresented，ashesaid，the’AlphaandOmega’ofEnglishpolitics。Thetheorywassimple。Thewholeborough-mongeringsystemdependedupontheinflatedcurrency。Prickthatbubbleandthewholewouldcollapse。Itwasabsolutelyimpossible，hesaid，thatthenationshouldreturntocashpaymentsandcontinuetopayinterestonthedebt。Shouldsuchathinghappen，hedeclared，hewould’givehispoorbodyuptobebroiledononeofCastlereagh’swidest-ribbedgridirons。’109The’gridironprophecy’becamefamous；agridironwasforlongafrontispiecetotheRegister；andCobbett，farfromretracting，wentonproving，intheteethoffacts，thatithadbeenfulfilled。Hisinferencewas，notthatpapershouldbepreserved，butthatthedebtshouldbetreatedwitha’sponge。’

　　Cobbett，therefore，wasanawkwardallyofpoliticaleconomists，whosegreattriumphwastheresumptionofcashpayments，andwhoregardedrepudiationasthedeadlysin。Theburthenofthedebt，meanwhile，wassogreatthatrepudiationwaswellwithinthelimitsofpossibility。110Cobbett，intheireyes，wasanadvocateofthegrossestdishonesty，andusingthebasestincentives。Cobbettfullyretortedtheirscorn。Theeconomistsbelongedtotheveryclasswhomhemosthated。HewasnevertiredofdenouncingScottish’feelosophers’；hesneersatAdamSmith，111andRicardowastohimtheincarnationofthestock-jobbinginterest。CobbettsympathisedinstinctivelywiththedoctrineoftheFrencheconomiststhatagriculturewastherealsourceofallwealth。Henearlyacceptsaphrase，erroneouslyattributedtoWindham，’PerishCommerce，’andhearguesthatcommercewas，infact，oflittleuse，anditsmonstrousextensionatthebottomofallourworstevils。112Nobodycouldbemoreheartilyopposedtothespiritwhichanimatedthepoliticaleconomistsandthewholeclassrepresentedbythem。AttimeshespokethelanguageofmodernSocialists。HedefinesCapitalas’moneytakenfromthelabouringclasses，which，beinggiventoarmytailorsandsuchlike，enablesthemtokeepfoxhoundsandtracetheirdescentfromtheNormans。’113

　　Themostcharacteristicpointofhisspeculationsishisviewofthepoor-laws。Nobodycouldspeakwithmoregoodsenseandfeelingofthedemoralisationwhichtheywereactuallyproducing，ofthesappingofthespiritofindependence，andofallthedevicesbywhichtheagriculturallabourerwaslosingthehappinessenjoyedinearlyyears，ButCobbett’sdeductionfromhisprinciplesispeculiar。

　　’ParsonMalthus’isperhapsthefavouriteobjectofhismostvirulentabuse。

　　’Ihavehatedmanymen，’hesays，’butneveranyonesomuchasyou。’’I

　　callyouparson，’heexplains，’becausethatwordincludes”boroughmonger”

　　amongothermeanings，thoughnosinglewordcouldbesufficient。’114Cobbettragesagainstthephrase’redundantpopulation。’Therewouldbeplentyforalliftheboroughmongersandstockjobberscouldbeannihilated，taxesabolished，andthedebtrepudiated。TheordinarypalliativessuggestedwerelittletothetasteofthisremarkableRadical。Themanwhoapprovedbull-fightingandsupportedtheslave-tradenaturallysneeredat’heddekashun，’

　　andthoughtsavings-banksameandevicetointerestthepoorinthekeepingupofthefunds。Hisremedywasalwaysaspongeappliedtothedebt，andtheabolitionoftaxes。

　　Thisleads，however，tooneremarkableconclusion。Cobbett’sattackuponthechurchestablishmentprobablydidmoretocausealarmthananywritingsoftheday，ForPaine’sattacksuponitscreedhecaredlittleenough。’Yourreligion，’saidaparsontohim，’seemstobealtogetherpolitical。’Itmightwellbe，wasCobbett’sretort，sincehiscreedwasmadeforhimbyactofparliament。115Infact，hecarednothingfortheology，thoughhecalledhimselfamemberofthechurchofEngland，andretainedanintensedislikeforUnitarians，dissentersingeneral，’saints’ashecalledtheEvangelicalparty，ScottishPresbyterians，andgenerallyforallreligioussects。Helookedatchurchquestionssolelyfromonepointofview。Hehadlearned，itseems，fromapassageinRuggles’sHistoryofthePoor，116thatthetitheshadbeenoriginallyintendedtosupportthepooraswellasthechurch。

　　Gradually，ashelookedbackuponthe’goodoldtimes，’hedevelopedthetheoryexpoundedinhisHistoryoftheReformation。Itisasingularperformance，writtenattheperiodofhismostrecklessexasperation1824-27，butwithhisfullvigourofstyle。Hedeclares117in1825thathehassoldforty-fivethousandcopies，andithasbeenoftenreprinted。ThepurposeistoshowthattheReformationwas’engenderedinbeastlylust，broughtforthinhypocrisy，andcherishedandfedbyplunderanddevastation，andbyriversofEnglishandIrishblood，’118Briefly，itisthecauseofeveryevilthathashappenedsince，including，thedebt，thebanks，thestockjobbers，andtheAmericanrevolution。’119Inprovingthis，CobbettwritesinthespiritofsomevehementCatholicbigot，maddenedbythepenallaws。HenryVIII，Elizabeth，andWilliamIIIarehismonsters；theMarysofEnglandandScotlandhisidealmartyrs。HealmostapologisesforthemassacreofSt。BartholomewandtheGunpowderPlot；

　　and，inspiteofhispatriotism，attributesthedefeatoftheArmadatoastorm，forfearofpraisingElizabeth。ThebitterestUltramontaneofto-daywouldshrinkfromsomeofthisRadical’saudaciousstatements。Cobbett，inspiteofhisextravagance，showsflashesofhisusualshrewdness。Heremarkselsewherethatthetruewayofstudyinghistoryistoexamineactsofparliamentandlistsofpricesoflabourandoffood；120andhearguesuponsuchgroundsfortheprosperityoftheagriculturallabourerunderEdwardIII，’whenadung-cartfillercouldgetafatgooseandahalfforhalfaday’swork，’Hemakessometellinghits，aswhenhecontrastsWilliamofWykehamwithBrownlowNorth，thelastbishopofWinchester。Protestantscondemnedcelibacy。Well，hadWilliambeenmarried，weshouldnothavehadWinchesterschool，orNewCollege；hadBrownlowNorthbeendoomedtocelibacy，hewouldnothavehadtensonsandsons-in-lawtosharetwenty-fourrichlivings，besidesprebendsandotherpreferments；

　　andperhapshewouldnothavesoldsmallbeerfromhisepiscopalpalaceatFarnham。Cobbett’smaindoctrineisthatwhentheCatholicchurchflourished，thepopulationwasactuallymorenumerousandricher，thatthecareofthepriestsandmonksmadepauperismimpossible，andthateversincethehideousblunderperpetratedbythereformerseverythinghasbeengoingfrombadtoworse。Whenitwasretortedthatthecensusprovedthepopulationtobegrowing，herepliedthatthecensuswasalie。Werethefactstrulystated，hedeclares，weshouldhaveapopulationofneartwenty-eightmillioninEnglandbytheendofthiscentury，121amanifestreductioadabsurdum。IfitwereremarkedthattherewasaCatholicchurchinFrance，andthatCobbettproveshiscasebythesuperiorityoftheEnglishpoortotheFrenchpoor，heremarkedsummarilythattheFrenchlawsweredifferent。122

　　Thus，theonemonsterevilisthedebt，andthetaxesturnouttohavebeenaProtestantinventionmadenecessarybytheoriginalactofplunder。ThatwasCobbett’sdoctrine，and，howeverperversemightbesomeofhisreasonings，itwasclearlytothetasteofalargeaudience。Thepoor-lawwasmerelyapartialatonementforavastandcontinuousprocessofplunder。Corruptasmightbeitsactualoperation，itwasapartofthepoorman’spatrimony，extortedbyfearfromthegangofrobberswhofattenedupontheirlabours。

　　Cobbett’stheoriesneednotbediscussedfromthelogicalorhistoricalpointofview。Theyaretheutterancesofamanmadeunscrupulousbyhisdesperatecircumstances，fightingwithboundlesspugnacity，readytostrikeanyblow，fairorfoul，solongasitwillvexhisenemies，andhelptoselltheRegister。Hispugnacityalienatedallhisfriends。NotonlydidWhigsandToriesagreeincondemninghim，buttheUtilitarianshatedanddespisedhim，andhisoldfriends，BurnettandHunt，werealienatedfromhim，andreviledbyhim。Hisactualfollowerswereasmallandinsignificantremnant。YetCobbett，likeOwen，representedinacrudefashionblindinstinctsofnosmallimportanceinthecomingyears，AnditisespeciallytobenotedthatinonedirectionthephilosophicColeridgeandthekeenQuarterlyReviewerSouthey，andtheSocialistOwenandthereactionaryRadicalCobbett，weremoreinagreementthantheyknew。Whatalarmedthemwasthevastsocialchangeindicatedbytheindustrialrevolution。Inonewayoranothertheyconnectedalltheevilsofthedaywiththegrowthofcommerceandmanufactures，andthebreakingupoftheoldsystemofdomestictradeandvillagelife。123Thatistosay，thatinadumbandinarticulatelogic，thoughintheloudesttonesofdenunciation，ToriesandSocialists，andnondescriptRadicalswereragingagainsttheresultsofthegreatsocialchange，whichtheUtilitariansregardedasthetruelineofadvanceoftheday，thisgivesthedeepestlineofdemarcation，andbringsustothepoliticaleconomy，whichshowsmostfullyhowthecasepresenteditselftothetrueUtilitarian。

　　NOTES：

　　1。Bain’sJamesMill，p。215。

　　2。Autobiography，p。104。

　　3。MiscellaneousWorksPopularEdition，p。131。

　　4。ThearticlesfromtheEncyclopaediauponGovernmentJurisprudenceLibertyofthePress，PrisonsandPrisonDiscipline，Colonies，LawofNations，Education，werereprintedinavolume’notforsale’，in1825and1828。Iquotefromareprintnotdated。

　　5。’Government’，pp。3-5。

　　6。’Government’，p。8。

　　7。’Government’，p。9。

　　8。Ibid。，p。11。

　　9。Ibid。，p。9。

　　10。Ibid。，p。12。

　　11。’Government’，p。9。

　　12。C’estuneexp&eacute；rience&eacute；ternellequetouthommequiadupouvoirestport&eacute；&agrave；

　　enabuser；ilvajusqu’&agrave；cequ’iltrouvedeslimites。EspritdesLois，Bk。xi，chap。4。