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Excerpt from The Life and Letters of William Cobbett in England America, Based Upon Hitherto Unpublished Family Papers All these letters, with a few exceptions, are now printed for the first time. It was after reading the great mass of Cobbett's unpublished correspondence that I decided to write a biography of this man, who, born "at the plough tail," as he put it, raised himself to a position from which for years he exercised an influence as far-reaching as that of any personage in the Kingdom, and who, learning English grammar at the age of twenty-three, before he reached middle-age was acclaimed in two continents as one of the most effective writers of strong and racy English. In writing an account of the life of Cobbett, it is very easy to yield to the temptation to follow him into the innumerable questions in which he was interested, but I have endeavoured to avoid this pitfall, and to tell a straightforward story. It has, indeed, been my object to allow Cobbett to tell his story in his own words, and with this object I have drawn freely upon his correspondence. The principal authorities for Cobbett's life, besides his correspondence, are (i) The Life and Adventures of Peter Porcupine, in which pamphlet he replied, in 1796, to those who slandered him during his first sojourn in the United States, taking for his motto, "Now, you lying Varlets, you shall see how a plain tale shall put you down"; and (ii) the numerous autobiographical passages in his various writings, especially in his contributions to the Political Register, his Advice to Young Men, and his Rural Rides. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Politician, journalist, reformer, convict, social commentator and all-round thorn in the side of the establishment, William Cobbett cut a swathe through late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth century British society with his copious and acerbic writings on any and every issue that caught his attention. Both a radical and a conservative, and with strong opinions on any given subject, Cobbett had a talent for controversial and pugnacious writing that echoes down the centuries and still rings fresh today. Commemorating the 250th anniversary of Cobbett’s birth in 1763, this book provides a selection of his writings - both published and unpublished - that highlight his talents, obsessions, and concerns. From corruption and Parliamentary reform, poverty and commerce, to patriotism and religion, the selections display Cobbett at his best - sometimes outraged and excoriating, sometimes sympathetic and reasoned - but always honest and witty. Divided into 14 chapters each dealing with a particular theme, the selections are contextualised so as to provide the necessary historical background for any readers who may be unfamiliar with the period. In so doing, the book not only brings to life the dynamic and rumbustious world of Georgian England within which Cobbett moved, but also reveals many uncanny parallels with modern concerns. Whether espousing political reform, promoting rural affairs or decrying a spiralling national debt, many of Cobbett’s opinions seem as relevant today as when they were first written. Certainly modern readers will find much here to educate, amuse and admire.

The Life and Letters of William Cobbett in England & America: Introductory ; ch. I. Early years (1763-1784) ; ch. II. In the army (1781-1792) ; ch. III. Marriage (1792) ; ch. IV. The United States (1792-1800) ; ch. V. Cobbett returns to England (1800-1801) ; ch. VI. Cobbett's "political register" (1802) ; ch. VII. Cobbett's correspondence (1803) ; ch. VIII. Cobbett's correspondence (1804) ; ch. IX. Botley ; ch. X. Cobbett's correspondence (1805) ; ch. XI. Cobbett's correspondence (1806)

Lewis Saul Benjamin

Published: 1913

Total Pages: 388


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William Cobbett, the Press and Rural England offers a thorough re-appraisal of William Cobbett (1763-1835), situating his journalism and rural radicalism in relation to contemporary political debates.