delight in reflecting on the innocent and happy life that my children would lead in case of my perishing in the hellish jail. If my friend had died before my letter reached him, no matter; there were sons, daughters, plenty of relations; all, or any of them, would have been eager to fulfil my wishes, and to receive my wife and children as their own. How snugly hidden causes lie, while effects are so glaring! Looking rightly at the matter, my friends in Pennsylvania were, in great part, the cause of PAPER AGAINST GOLD, which laid the axe to the root of the paper-money system, and which will be admired for ages to come; for it was my reliance on those friends that gave me the spirit and the tranquillity of mind that enabled me to write that celebrated series of letters.

are not more widely apart in character and in effect: but for this contrast (to the drawing of which no pen can do full justice) we must wait until I trace myself back to England after the exile to Long Island, in 1817; it being desirable to serve him up in one single dish.

My imprisonment, which ended in July, 1812, gave me, as to money matters, a blow not easily recovered. The peace came, too, in about twenty months afterwards, which was greatly injurious to me as a farmer, and, at the same time, as a'writer; for, in its fit of drunken joy, the nation in general laughed at me; and, which was the heaviest blow of all, I, under such heavy bonds, did not dare to be the proprietor of the Register; it was transferred to another, in order to screen me; that other would, of course, have the greater share of the profits; so that by the beginning of the year 1816, my pecuniary affairs had become so desperate as to make me determine on selling my land and every thing else, and on beginning the world afresh; and, as will have to be mentioned by-and-by, I communicated this

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Such was the friendship of JAMES PAUL. No wonder that I named a son after him, and no wonder that that son should, when he signs, never fail to stick the Paul into his name; a name that will be honoured by my children's children, as synonymous with all that is frank, sincere, benevolent, kind, and generous. Such was the friendship of my friend PAUL: let us see, by-and-by, my determination to Burdett. what was, in this time of trial, the But, before the year 1816 had exfriendship of my "friend" BURDETT!pired, my affairs began to take a difThe former, upon one occasion, when ferent turn. The "reckoning" had not my wife, who was in the family-way, been paid; "dear Old Blucher," as the was discovering a strong desire to have nasty tax-eating women called him, was some chesnuts (which were not then gone away to "dear Brunswick," and ripe enough to fall), seeing her hanker- had left us all the score to pay. “ Agriing about under the tree (which was cultural distress" began to make the not far from the house) and looking up nation listen to the call for parliamentary at the chesnuts, took his axe, and with-reform; and the latter part of 1816, saw out saying a word to any one, went and the kingdom agitated from one end to felled the tree, containing a load or the other. Now was the time for me to more of timber; and when I deplored lay on upon the THING, which I began the loss of the beautiful tree, and the to do in November, 1816, changing the spoiling of the timber by cutting it at price of the Register from 18. to 2d., that season, "Poh"! said he, "what publishing it without a stamp, and keepis a tree compared to a woman or a ing myself sheltered from the law by child?" Such was the friendship of not being the legal proprietor. This the farmer at Pennsylvania. When we gave a totally new turn to my pecuniary come to see what was the "friendship" affairs. The sale of the Register was of "Westminster's pride and England's prodigious; the sale was forty or fifty glory," we shall find, that vice from thousand copies a week, besides the virtue, lies from truth, sincerity from Paper Against Gold, which was selling hypocrisy, sordidness from generosity in weekly numbers at the rate of from kindness from cruelty, hell from heaven twenty to thirty thousand a week. In

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short, clear of all expenses, and making | away my stock and my goods; it had due allowance for bad debts, there was caused the very bed to be sold from a profit of 2001. a week, and more than under my wife and her children; it had that; so that if I had been let alone, if made me land on a foreign shore withno law had been passed to stop and to out a penny; of more than seventy thou ruin me, my estate would have been sand pounds that I had earned in sixclear at the end of two years, and I teen years, it had, by the blow of 1810 should have been as rich as I ever and by this second blow, stripped me of wanted to be. every farthing that had not been absoAh! but I had this pretty Govern- lutely necessary to the rearing of my ment to deal with; I had the" envy of family in a very modest way. The "envy surrounding nations" to watch me, I and admiration" had done all this, and had the "representatives of the people" left me worth thousands less than nothing. to take care of me. They saw not only But so complete was my revenge; and that I should rouse the whole nation to so fully did I enjoy it, that when PEEL'S demand reform; but that I must soon, BILL was passed, I looked upon my by the weight of my purse, be in Par-account with the THING as being liament; and therefore they passed a square. law to enable some of themselves to shut Not thus, however, did the "admirme up in prison at their pleasure; to ation" view the matter: it was resolved put ine into any dungeon in any jail; to open the account again; for, hearing to prevent me from seeing wife, child, of my intended return, and knowing or friend; to deprive me of the use of that I should land in November, 1819, pen, ink, and paper; to keep me in such it hastened to collect itself together. I dungeon as long as they pleased; and being out of the "ADMIRATION'S this too without even telling me what I reach, it had put an end to the dungeonwas accused of; and all this they did, law; but when it saw me coming again, as expressly stated by SIDMOUTH, when it hastened to do something that should he brought in the bill, because I had answer its purpose, even if I again went committed no offence against the laws; to Long Island! The dungeon-bill had because the law officers could find no-not silenced me; another dungeon-bill thing to prosecute in my publications! would only have made me go back to To carry on the combat further, seem-America; and that would not have aned impossible; but I did it. Between swered the purpose. Therefore, the silence and a dungeon lay my only choice, envy of surrounding nations" resorted unless I resorted to flight. I did resort to a law to prevent cheap publications. to it, and the" envy and admiration' I beg the reader to look well at this found, to its astonishment, that I hit it law. My Register was sold for, twoharder blows from across the Atlantic pence, of which, after expenses and than I had ever given it before. Aye, allowances, there was about a penny and I hit it blows too, that the nation for me; but a thousand pence make never perceived; for, it was by the 41. 3s. 4d.; and that would amount, at PUFF-OUT, and by the terrors that I only 20,000 copies, to 841. a week, or contrived to fill the THING with, that 4,368l. a year. The "admiration" PEEL'S BILL was produced. I was calculated all this. It, therefore, in savagely treated by the "envy"; but I order to promote mental improvement took ample revenge: while I was fro-amongst "the lower orders," passed a licking about, free and happy in Long law to compel me to sell the Register Island, I kept the " ADMIRATION" in a for sixpence; and to prevent me from continual fright! This is not a time, nor have I room for the purpose, to relate the various private ways, in which I plagued and scared the THING. It had ruined me as to property; it had left me without a shilling; it had flung

gaining money by it, to put into each Register two sheets and a quarter of paper, each sheet being, at the least, twenty-one inches one way and seventeen the other way! Or, if I did not choose this, to have a stamp, and to pay the

that I received: and this is what I now do. I sell for sixpence, and the "admiration makes me pay four-pence of the money before I sell! The "admiration" further enacted, that any pamphlet, under the price of sixpence, might be published occasionally; but not periodically, oftener than once a month; but in order to prevent publishing weekly under different titles, the "envy" enacted, that a monthly pamphlet should not be published, except at the end of the month! Clever "admiration"! "Noblest assembly of freemen in the world"! It does make my blood boil to think, that I am thus made the instrument of taking thousands a year out of the pockets of the best men in the country to give to this THING and its tax-eaters; and some way or other to put an end to this, I will find out.

envy," FOUR-PENCE (besides the money, not a farthing ever went into paper-tax) out of every SIXPENCE my pocket, but (for the greater part) never was touched by me, but went to pay a debt which I owed to a man, for whom BURDETT professed a great regard: who would imagine that that man, and not I, actually received 2,0007. out of the 2,700l. from Burdett; and that the latter knew that it was to pay a debt due to this man (whom I shall presently name), and not to go into my pocket at all: who would imagine, that in 1816, when I despaired, as I have before said, of getting through my embarrassments without selling my land, I, by letter, proposed to him to sell every thing I had of every sort, and to pay him: who would imagine, that he, in answer, begged me not to do it, assuring me that he thought nothing of the debt, and expressing his fears lest the breaking up should detract from my weight with the public: who would imagine, We are now arrived at the autumn of that this "glory of England," when I 1819, when I returned to England; and had fled to avoid the dungeons of SIDthis, before I proceed to the third strip-MOUTH, the moment my back was turnping, is the place to serve up the sordid ed, published in all the newspapers, or and calumnious BURDETT. Who that connived at it, that I was gone off has heard the stories propagated by this" with three thousand pounds of his mean, malignant, and mercenary fellow," money": who would imagine, that and his base understrappers, would not the fellow never dared to come and suppose, that I had actually robbed the prove his debt before the commissioners poor soul; that I had picked his pocket, of the bankruptcy: who would imagine or, at least, got money from him under that the three hundred pounds, that false pretences; that, in short, I had made up the three thousand, was a sum been either thief or swindler? Indeed, lent by him (or rather given) to John they have called me thief, robber, Wright (my clerk of private-letter fame) swindler, and particularly have charged for Wright's own use, for assisting him me with ingratitude to this fellow. to write the stupid pamphlet that got "Poor Burdett" has always, when I him into the Tower; and which Wright have heard of this "robbery," put me is now, or was, the schemer of the in mind of PARSON TRULLIBER, who, when ADAMS asked him for the loan of eighteen-pence, exclaimed, "Does thee want to rob me"; the wife putting her hands together and saying, "Pray, sir, don't rob my muster"! For BURDETT, in more respects than one, resembles this Wiltshire clerical hog-merchant. LIAM CLEMENT repaid Mr. HULME out Who would imagine that the fellow held, and holds, regular bonds for the money, bearing interest of 5 per cent.; that the debt was included amongst those from which I was legally relieved by a statute of bankruptcy? that of the

PURE-WATER SCHEME, of which GLORY is, or was, the Parliamentary advocate: who would imagine, that instead of my going off with poor Sir Francis's money, I had, in order to be able to get away, to borrow 500l. from Mr. THOMAS HULME, and that Mr. WIL

of the proceeds of my works? Who would imagine all these facts to be true? And yet every one of them admits of juridical proof. But, in order to show the ingratitude, the black ingratitude, of this fellow towards me, I must beg

Amongst my creditors was Mr. JAMES SWANN, of Wolvercot, near OXFORD, a paper-maker, and a most worthy man. Burdett, in those his democratic days, had, through me or my clerk, Wright, become acquainted with Mr. SWANN, and had visited him at his house in Oxfordshire; and considering his then low state (after the Tower affair) it was no small condescension on the part of a man like Mr. SwANN, to suffer him to eat and drink in his house. He knew of my debt to Mr. SWANN, and was told that the 2000l. was wanted for him, When he gave me the check on Old Courts, I handed it to SWANN; SWANN went and got the money, and placed it to my credit in his account. I have neither seen nor heard of Mr. SwANN

the reader's patience while I relate the " Think nothing of this, Cobbett; it whole of the circumstances of this" shall never rise in judgment against "robbery of poor and generous Burdett."" you." I thanked him, but said that I I have before described the ruin that hoped to be able duly to pay it. the jailing of 1810; that sentence of death, brought upon me. The late Mr. BOSVILLE, knowing my state, lent me, and finally gave me, a thousand pounds, and he proposed to BURDETT, that he should give me two thousand, to which Burdett assented. God knows he had cost me more money, in one way or another, expended for him. But while this was talking about; before it was done, the affair about the CHILD AND THE LADY came out; and I had heard generous Burdett's miserable explanation. On a Sunday, while this really shameful story was circulating in the papers, Mr. and Mrs. MILLARD, then straw-hat manufacturers in the Strand, came to see me and my wife, who was then with me in Newgate. Mrs. MILLARD asked me what was this story about Sir for some years. If he be alive, as I FRANCIS BURDETT and the CHILD," and hope he is, he will bear testimony to how he came first to give, and then to the truth of this statement: if he be demand back, the money? I explained dead, the entry will be found in his the matter: I told the story that generous books; and that entry will be found to Burdett had told me. Women are keen argree precisely with the date of the in these matters, and they are a sister-bond, which, I am sure, is carefully hood besides. When Mrs. MILLARD preserved in the archives of "England's went away, my wife went to the room-glory." door with her, and having shut it very The 7001. the generous soul lent me gently and very close, she came to me, early in 1816, at the time when I proand taking my hand, and looking posed to sell all off and to pay him. I very seriously in my face, she said, forget who had that sum; but I am sure My dear Billy, pray never tell that it went to pay some debt. The 3001. story again." That was all she said; was a curious affair. It had been got but that little, and the manner of it, from him by WRIGHT, in the winter or made me ashamed of having made the spring of 1810; and Burdett, in 1812, attempt; and it made me resolve to brought it against me. I had a long take nothing from generous Burdett account to settle with this Wright. An in the way of gift. He was, at that arbitration was held in Newgate; Mr. time, at the prison almost daily, and did | COOKE, of Lincoln's Inn, was the arbime the honour to dine with me four or trator. Burdett, on his oath, declared, five days in the week. He never posi-that he lent the money to Wright FOR tively asked me to write in his defence ME, which WRIGHT DENIED. Howon that score; and the 2000l. came at last, ever, in consequence of Burdett's oath, in the way of loan, for which I gave him the arbitrator decided, that the money a regular bond, costing me, I think, 41. was due from me to Burdett, but that, I sent it to him, filled up by myself, in of course, Wright had to pay me the order, as he requested, that nobody might money. It was a promissory note, given know any thing about the matter but our by Wright to Burdett, without any mentwo selves! The next time he came, he tion of me. Amidst the confusion attook it out of his pocket, and said: tending the flight to Long Island, this

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note, given up to me by Burdett, was formed not less than a hundred journies mislaid; but having found it there, I from Botley to London and back, for sent it home to Mr. WHITE, solicitor, no other purpose than that of assisting Essex-street, Strand, to get Burdett to and upholding him, each journey costendorse it, to get the money from ing me (always in post-chaise) about Wright, and to pay it to Burdett. But eleven or twelve pounds; for at his Burdett having got the note, never re-house (if house I must call it) I never turned it to Mr. White; and SCARLETT, ate or drank but twice in all my life, in the libel trial of Wright against me, and never but once, out of hundreds of in 1820 (Burdett sitting in court), said times, saw any part of his family, and that the note was cancelled or satisfied, never saw the appearance of any houseI forget which! Now, I appeal to the keeping, though he fed so many, many notes of Mr. COOKE and the memory of times at my tablei n Newgate. But when Mr.WETHERALL (this Wright's advocate) he had got into the Tower what did I for the verification of these facts; and do? Did I desert him? I had none of his here is now this WRIGHT, who published money then, at any rate. I came to my private letters to serve Burdett, in London on purpose to uphold him. His his election of 1818, and who brought a Westminster Committee met to conwhole buudle of them into court in sider of what should be done. They 1820; here is now this WRIGHT, the had resolved to abandon him; and, beprojector of the PURE-WATER fore they separated, I and Mr. WM. scheme, of which Burdett is the parlia- FREND prevailed on them to present to mentary eulogist! him an address full of praise of his conNow, mark, this money was lent by duct, which address I drew up, and generous Burdett to Wright at the time which address brought others in the when Burdett was writing his tower-same strain from all parts of the kingpamphlet. One HOWELL, a little lawyer, dom. Mr. FREND may now be dead whom I was employing on the State but I published the facts while he was Trials, furnished the statesman with his alive. For seven long years I was his law; Wright contributed, I dare say, sole prop. A good large volume would the greater part of the literary talent. not, all put together, contain the facts The great affair was executed at that I collected for him; the notes that WRIGHT'S LODGING (at a tailor's in I made for his speeches; the various Panton Square); and when Burdett things that I wrote to uphold him. Two showed it to me, I, finding it so mon-particularly I must mention. His senstrously dull and pointless, proposed the putting of an introduction to it, that it might have a head, at any rate, if it had no tail. At the legislator's request, 1 wrote that part; and this child of many fathers brought its reputed papa to the

Tower

How he got out of the Tower, all the world knows. He never got over that. ATLAS himself could not have held him up. I had entered my prison just after he came out of the Tower. Did I abandon him to the contempt that he was labouring under, and that he so well deserved? Let him look back to the pages of the Register of that time, and let him, if he have any feeling left, drop down dead at the thought of his matchless ingratitude. Between 1809 and 1816, both inclusive, I had per

sible speech on the currency, recorded in Paper against Gold, I wrote out for him, and then published it and praised it as his, which was, indeed, my constant practice. In 1812, he made a grand stroke. He moved the answer to the King's speech, or, rather, the Regent's; and made a long speech, which brought plaudits from every part of the country. I wrote the answer and the speech; and the former was copied by his own daughter, that my hand might not appear, and that the secret should not become public. Nay, these were published in a pamphlet, by subscription, and I was myself the greatest subscriber! Shame, indeed, would it be to relate this; but, good God, what has he not endeavoured to do to me! What has he left undone that he thought had

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