lend out paper again for only five | And, when a man reflects, that he

This is what has been now done; and what is more, it has been done with a professed desire to remove the evils that afflict the country! The pay of the placemen, pensioners, fundholders, soldiers, and of all those who live on the taxes has thus been aug-the quantity of paper-money is

my efforts, I have, except by the peo- | shall take its course. I, at present, owe nothing to the country, except to the Labouring classes. If I am placed in parliament, it will be my duty to do much, and much I shall do: if I am not placed there, the country will have no demand upon me. Even in the utter ruin and abasement of the country I shall be neither ruined nor abassed. Not to possess wealth is nothing to him who does not desire it; and, as to reputation, the world would have the justice to say, that I have lost none by events which

ple, been repaid in abuse and persecution; and that, therefore, in the capacity of a writer, I will suggest nothing in the way of remedy. My former efforts have been treated with scorn, and now let the scorners extricate themselves. If I were in parliament, I would point out the means. Not being there I will point out none. Those who have property at stake, have, even now, the means of putting me there. If they do, my opinion is, that measures of salvation will be adopted; if they do not, I am ofI had foreseen and foretold, and which

Amongst our duties are the duties which we OWO ourselves and, amongst those duties is that of not suffering ourselves to be degraded. And, for my part, I should deem it degradation to the last degree to be an underworker of such men as those, who have brought this once, free and happy nation into its present state. An endeavour to serve the country in this way would, too, be wholly unavailing. It would only tend to amuse and deceive. And, therefore, I will never attempt it. I will hear the schemes of others. If they adopt any thing that I have already laid down, I will claim it as my own. If they broach any thing new, I will offer my opinions on it; but, unless in parliament, the thing, for me,

had endeavoured to prevent, and for which endeavours I had been most furiously persecuted.

My beloved Countrymen and Country women, think of these things; and, be assured that, under all circumstances, I shall bear about me and carry with me to the grave the kindest feelings towards you, and the most anxious wishes for your happi

ness.

I am,

Your friend,
And obedient servant,
WM. COBBETT.

TO THE REFORMERS.

On the subject of raising a sum of money for the purpose of defraying the expences attending the securing of a seat in Parliament at the next Election.

London, Feb. 5, 1820. FRIENDS AND fellow CountRYMEN, AND COUNTRY WOMEN,

The sum of money which I wished you to put me in possession of, under

he name of a FUND FOR REFORM, |ing through Richmond, in my blue will, I can clearly see, be raised by smock-frock and my red garters tied the time that I should think it neces- under my knees, when, staring about sary to employ it. But the death of me, my eye fell upon a little book, in the King has made me anxious to ap- a bookseller's window, on the outside peal to you for a purpose, which I of which was written: "TALE OF think proper openly to avow; and A TUB; PRICE 3d." The title was that is, the obtaining of the means of so odd, that my curiosity was excited. securing a seat in the House of Com- I had the 3d. but, then, I could have mons; which seat great numbers of no supper. In I went, and got the lityou are certainly very anxious that I tle book, which I was so impatient to should obtain. Before I proceed fur- read, that I got over into a field, at the ther, in speaking of the utility of my upper corner of Kew gardens, where being in Parliament, suffer me to say there stood a hay-stack. On the shady some little matter with regard to the side of this, I sat down to read. The calumnies which have been heaped book was so different from any thing upon me by the atrocious Daily Press that I had ever read before: it was of the metropolis; by the still more something so new to my mind, that, atrocious Quarterly Review, and by though I could not at all understand almost the whole of the country news- some of it, it delighted me beyond depapers. I shall go back further than scription; and it produced what I may be thought necessary, in order have always considered a sort of birth → that you may see me from the begin- of intellect. I read on till it was ning. For, upon this particular ócca- dark, without any thought about supsion, I am desirous that you should per or bed. When I could see no have all the means of judging fairly, longer, I put my little book in my between me and those by whom I pocket, and tumbled down by the side have so long been assailed. of the stack, where I slept till the At eleven years of age my employ-birds in Kew Gardens awaked me in ment was clipping of box-edgings and weeding beds of flowers in the garden of the Bishop of Winchester, at the Castle of Farnham, my native town. I had always been fond of beautifully air, and, doubtless, his own compas gardens; and, a gardner, who had sion besides, induced the gardener, just come from the King's gardens at who was a Scotsman, I remember, to Kew, gave such a description of them give me victuals, find me lodging, and as made me instantly resolve to work set me to work. And, it was during in these gardens. The next morning, the period that I was at Kew, that the without saying a word to any one, off present king and two of his brothers I set, with no clothes, except those laughed at the oddness of my dress, upon my back, and with thirteen half-while I was sweeping the grass plat pence in my pocket. I found that round the foot of the Pagoda. The I must go to Richmond, and I, ac-gardener, seeing me fond of books, cordingly, went on, from place to place, inquiring my way thither. A long day (it was in June) brought me to Richmond in the afternoon. Twopenny worth of bread and cheese and a pennyworth of small beer, which I had on the road, and one half-penny that I had lost somehow or other, left three pence in my pocket. With this for my whole fortune, I was trudg

the morning; when off I started to Kew, reading my little book. The singularity of my dress, the simplicity of my manner, my confident and live

lent me some gardening books to read; but, these I could not relish after my Tale of a Tub, which I carried about with me wherever I went, and when I, at about twenty years old, lost it in a box that fell overboard in the Bay of Fonday in North America, the loss gave me greater pain than I have ever felt at losing thousands of pounds.

This circumstance, trifling as it was,

it, has always endeared the recollection of Kew to me. About five weeks ago, I had occasion to go from Chelsea to Twickenham with my two eldest sons. I brought them back through Kew, in order to show them the place where the hay-stack stood; having frequently related to them what I have now related to you.

Far be it from me to suppose, that you want any thing to convince you, that the numerous foul accusations, made against me by the public press, are wholly false. But, upon this occasion, permit me to say, that it is not unnecessary, and that it is but bare justice to you, justice to your discern ment and your virtue, for me to show, that you have not conferred such marks of respect on one who is unworthy of them.

and childish as it may seem to relate Įgistrate, either as defendant or complainant. And, even up to this hour, about five oaths are all that I have ever taken, notwithstanding the multitude and endless variety of affairs, in which I have been engaged. I entered the army at sixteen, and quitted it at twenty-five. I never was once even accused of a fault of any 'sort. At nineteen I was promoted to Serjeant-Mujor from a Corporal, over the heads of nearly fifty serjeants. While my regiment was abroad, I received the public and official thanks of the Governor of the Province for my zeal in the King's service; while no officer of the regiment received any thanks at all. Many years after this, this same Governor (General Carleton) came to see me and to claim the pleasure of my acquaintance. When I quitted the army at Portsmouth, I had You have how, and at what an age, a discharge, bearing on it, that I had I started in the world. Those of you, been discharged at my own request, who are mothers will want nothing and in consequence of the great serbut the involuntary impulse of your vices I had rendered the king's service own hearts to carry your minds back in that regiment. During this part to the alarm, the fears and anxieties of my life I lived amongst, and was of my most tender mother. But, if I compelled to associate with, the most aman extraordinary man," as I beastly of drunkards, where liquor have been called by some persons, was so cheap, that even a soldier might who ought to have found out a dif- be drunk every day; yet I never, dur. ferent epithet, I was a still more ex-ing the whole time, even tasted of any traordinary boy. For, though I never of that liquor. My father's, and more returned home for any length of time, especially my mother's precepts were and never put my parents to a far- always at hand to protect me. thing in expence, after the time abovementioned, I was always a most dutiful son, never having, in my whole life, wilfully and deliberately disobeyed either my father or my mother. I carried in my mind their precepts against drinking and gaming; and I have never been drunk and have never played at any game in my life. When in the army I was often tempted to take up the cards. But, the words of my father came into my mind, and rescued me from the peril. Exposed, as you must well know, to all sorts of temptations; young, strong, adventurous, uncommonly gay and greatly given to talk; still, I never in my whole life, was brought before a ma

In 1792, I went to the United States of America. There I became a writer. I understood little at that time; but the utmost of my ability was exerted on the side of my country, though I had been greatly disgusted at the trick that had been played me in England, with regard to a courtmartial, which I had demanded upon some officers. I forgot every thing when the honour of England was concerned. The king's minister in America made me offers of reward. I refused to accept of any, in any shape whatever. Reward was offered me, when I came home. I always refused to take one single penny from the government. If I had been to be

stow.

bought, judge you, my countrywomen, these things, together with all the exhow rich, and even how high, I might penses attending a flight to, and a rehave been at this day! But, I value turn from, America, leave me comthe present received from the females paratively destitute of immediate peof Lancashire a million times higher cuniary means. But, was it ever bethan all the money and all the titles fore heard of in the world, that, in which ministers and kings have to be- answer to a man's political writings, his books of account are to be produced; a list of his pecuniary engagements published; and, what is more, his private letters, written in confidence many, many years before, obtained from a base and treacherous agent, and published to the world, and that, too, in a partial and garbled state? Was a thing like this ever heard of in this world before; and is there, on this side the grave, a punishment adequate to so foul and so detested a deed? Consider, too, that my wife and daughters were here to support, to bear up in silence against all the reproaches, all the scoffs, all the taunts, all the savage insults of this numerous and united band of literary ruffians!

Driven again across the Atlantic to avoid a dungeon, deprived of pen, ink, or paper, I still adhered faithfully to my beloved, though oppressed and miserable, country. I overcame every difficulty; and, to the surprise of friends and the confusion of enemies, caused a Register to be published once a week in London, though I was on the other side of the sea. And, while there, though I did much to benefit that country in the way of agriculture, I never did any act or uttered any word, that should seem to say, that I had abandoned England. If I had preferred tranquillity and ease and comfort to duty, I should not have returned; but have called my family to me. But, I have never had an idea of happiness distinct from the happiness and honour of my country. The greater her distress, the more necessary the presence of those of her sons, who possess abilities to assist in saving her.

and having no one to protect or advise me since I was eleven years old. Very few men can say as much. There is hardly a quaker that can say as much, though he be much younger than I am. I never, in the whole

These cowardly and brutal men have represented me as being a harsh, tyrannical, passionate, merciless, and even greedy man. I have said before that, in the whole course of my life, I never was once before a Magistrate în any criminal case, either as accuser or The calumnies of the London daily accused; and that is a great deal' to press, and of a great part of the week-say, at the end of fifty-three years, ly press and the country press, together with the Quarterly Review, have been so numerous, that I can only notice them in the gross. These cowardly libellers have exhibited me as a fraudulent debtor, and yet as being without a shilling. These calum-course of my life, brought an action nies answer themselves. But, if either were true, should I voluntarily have come home; and that, too, at a great expense? It is very true, that the sudden breaking up of my affairs, in 1817, following a total loss of six thousand pounds and upwards arising from the imprisonment and fine I had to endure for expressing my horror at seeing local-militia men flogged, in the heart of England, under a guard of German Bayonets: it is very trae, that

against any man for debt, though I have lost thousands of pounds by not doing it. Where is there a man so long engaged in business of various sorts, as I have been, who can say as much? I know of no such man. I never could find in my heart to oppress any man merely because he had not the ability to pay. I lose money by acting thus; but I did not loose my good opinion of myself, and that was far more valuable than money. Nor