William Cobbett was born today in 1763. If you've never heard of this guy, shame on you. H wrote a book called Rural Rides in 1824 which was one long whinge against anything new. If you remember Richard Wilson in One Foot In The Grave or you are addicted to Grumpy Old Men, Cobbett's the boy for you. He hated paper money (usually because he didn't have any); the government (although he tried to be part of it); standing armies (even though he was once a soldier); and London (despite the fact that he lived there). He was his own worst enemy and constantly contradicted himself. In one of his brilliant pamphlets he says what brilliant, friendly, freedom loving people the Americans are and in another he says every American town should be burned to the ground.
William Cobbett, King of the U Turn.
In other news ...
The French Foreign Legion was founded today back in 1831. It was a tough outfit, only taking real men like Gary Cooper and Brian Donlevy. Its unofficial motto was March or Die, although more often than not, that meant March and Die, but at least you were in good old-fashioned black-n-white company.
