Cobbett’s regiment was ordered to Canada, and he accompanied it to St. John’s, New Brunswick. Here his conduct as a soldier was exemplary. His talent and activity made him conspicuous, and he became sergeant-major, raised, though he was still but about twenty, over the heads of thirty sergeants. In 1791 the regiment returned to England, and he procured his discharge “in consideration of his good behaviour, and the services he had rendered his regiment.” Then occurred one of the most strange and ambiguous episodes in his life. He lodged charges of pecuniary defalcation against four of his late officers. A day was appointed for their trial by court-martial. The functionaries met, the accused were present, all was ready for commencement, when it transpired that Cobbett was missing. As he was the accuser, the trial was adjourned to a stated day in order that an opportunity might be afforded him to appear. The court again met; he was again absent; the accused officers, accordingly, were acquitted. They made some show of a wish to proceed against Cobbett, and what looks very like a feint of arresting him in his refuge at Farnham. But the upshot was that he escaped to France, and passed from France, when the revolutionary atmosphere became too hot for him, to America. Mr. Watson very properly devotes a good deal of attention to these circumstances, and we are bound to say that we agree with him in thinking that Cobbett was bribed with a good round sum to suppress his charges. It was, of course, an act of flagrant and base dishonesty; but there is nothing in Cobbett’s life to prove that he shrank from dishonesty, or was superior to temptation. He was a most affectionate husband and father, and many of his advices to young men and to the poor are excellent. His talent was of a coarse kind, but very great. His activity and indomitable spirit deserve all admiration. He boasted, probably with truth, that he had never passed an idle day. Cobbett first distinguished himself in America by publishing a fierce pamphlet against Priestley. He was soon a noted political writer, taking the side of ultra-Toryism, and denouncing with furious emphasis all that savoured of Radicalism or Republicanism. His talent was indubitable; and as vehement and able rhetoric on the Church-and-King side was then in demand, he attracted attention. On returning to England, he was welcomed by the authorities as an out-and-out Tory, and became the most violent, uncompromising, and popular of writers on the ministerial side. It is worthy of recollection that William Cobbett had his windows broken by the mob for the vehemence of his anti-popular utterances. According to his own account he met Pitt at dinner in Mr. Windham’s house; and the fact is not impossible, so highly did ministers at that time prize the aid of any one who could fight for them against the patriots.