The Life of William Cobbett, Written by Himself Pl. 4.
This is the fourth plate in Gillray's eight plate series, The Life of William Cobbett, Written by Himself which pretends to be a kind of graphic autobiography, but is, in fact a not so veiled attack upon Cobbett himself. For the general context of the series in Gillray's work, some background about Cobbett, and the more immediate impetus for the series, see my Introduction.
© Lewis Walpole Library Yale University
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Like previous plates, this one is loosely based on information created by Cobbett himself, in this case from an article called "Court Martial" in his Weekly Political Register, but distorted to portray him as both a thief and a radical intent on fomenting revolution within the army.
Because of his writing skills, Cobbett had been made clerk for his regiment and given responsibility for the accounting books, including the purchase and distribution of provisions. In 1787, while examining the books, he noticed
that the Quarter Master, who had the issuing of the men's provisions to them, kept about a fourth part of it to himself. This, the old sergeants told me, had been the case for many years; and they were quite astonished and terrified at the idea of my complaining of it. . . . From that time forward, I began to collect materials for an exposure, upon my return to England. . . . But I thought it necessary to make extracts from books lest the books themselves be destroyed.(Register: 901- 902)
He also needed a trustworthy and reliable witness to what he was seeing, and he found one in a young Corporal Bestland.
In Plate 4, Gillray portrays Cobbett in the regimental records office in the midst of making a copy from a "Regimental Account of Provisions" held by Bestland. In it we can make out lines devoted to "Cloaths," "Bread," "Meat," and "Potatoes." Other accounting books are visible throughout the room and Cobbett's responsibility for their security is emphasized. A notice on the door, for instance, reads
Regimental
Orders
51st Royal Regt
Ordered.
that none but trusty
Persons shall have
Access to the Regimental
Books and Accounts
N.B. the Keys are left
in the possession of
Serjt Majr Cobbett.
This much is consistent with Cobbett's own account.
But other details in both the visuals and text, cast a much more nefarious light upon Cobbett's activities. Behind Cobbett and before an open chest labeled "Wm Cobbett's Private Box" filled with documents he has copied, there is a note inscribed: "Stolen Documents for to make Grounds for Charges." In front of the desk, there is a money-bag of "£200 Regimental Money 51st Regt" with a note attached "for private use W. Cobbett" Finally, next to the money bag is a book labeled "Extracts from the Regimental Accounts to be altered as Convenient—Willm Cobbett J Bestland." The implication of all this is to suggest that it is Cobbett who is stealing money from the regiment and that he and Bestland are altering the books to put the blame on their fellow officers. This is, of course, meant to be consistent with Cobbett's robbing from the orchard in Plate 1 and his swift departure from home "hearing that the Church-Wardens were after me" in Plate 2.
But there is another theme carried over from previous plates. Ever since Plate 2, Gillray has emphasized that Cobbett's regiment was headed by Lord Edward Fitzgerald, who was later convicted of treason for enlisting France in promoting an Irish Revolution in 1798. Here again, we see Lord Edward's picture on the wall, and in his hand a paper labeled "Rebellion." Next to that is an insignia featuring pairs of torches, blunderbusses and a revolutionary bonnet rouge. In spite of considerable historical evidence to the contrary, I think Gillray means to portray Cobbett's whistle-blowing activities in 1787-1792, especially in a military environment, as tantamount to sedition and a prelude to complete insurrection. Hence the conclusion of the inscription below Plate 4.
_I was made Sarjeant-Major, and Clerk, to the Regiment, and there being only One Man in it, besides myself, who could read, or keep himself sober, (viz–poor little Corporal-Bestland). I constituted him my Deputy; _being intrusted with the care of the Regimental-Books, the Corporal and myself (tho' both of us blastedly afraid of a pair of Bloody Shoulders.)_purloined, and Copied by night such Documents as promised to be serviceable in the great National Object which I had in view_namely, to Disorganize the Army, preparatory to the Revolutionizing it altogether!__Vide: my Own Memoirs in the Political Register of 1809.
Sources and Reading
- Commentary from the British Museum on The Life of William Cobbett, Written by Himself Pl. 4..
- Draper Hill, Mr. Gillray The Caricaturist, 1965, p. 117, 144n
- "William Cobbett," Wikipedia
- The Life and Adventures of Peter Porcupine (1797)
- Cobbett's Weekly Political Register , June 17, 1809
- Thomas Wright and R.H. Evans, Historical and Descriptive Account of the Caricatures of James Gillray #361.
- Thomas Wright and Joseph Grego, The Works of James Gillray, the Caricaturist; With the History of His Life and Times, p. 365-366 .
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