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cynicismofthisagewillnote——recollectingthattheupperclassesrefused
toraisewagesin1795tomeettheextracostofliving，onthegroundthat
itwouldbedifficultafterwardstoreducethem——thatalltheupper-class
officials，whosesalarieswereincreasedbecauselivingwasmoreexpensive，
werelefttothepermanentenjoymentofthatincrease。Thelivesofthejudges，
thelandlords，theparsons，andtherestofthegoverningclasswerenot
becomemoremeagrebutmorespaciousinthelastfiftyyears。Duringthat
periodmanyofthegreatpalacesoftheEnglishnobilityhadbeenbuilt，
noblelibrarieshadbeencollected，andfamousgallerieshadgrownup，wing
uponwing。Theagriculturallabourerswhosefathershadeatenmeat，bacon，
cheese，andvegetableswerelivingonbreadandpotatoes。Theyhadlosttheir
gardens，theyhadceasedtobrewtheirbeerintheircottages。Intheirwork
theyhadnosenseofownershiporinterest。Theynolonger’saunteredafter
cattle’ontheopencommon，andattwilighttheynolonger’playeddownthe
settingsun；’thegameshadalmostdisappearedfromtheEnglishtillage，
theirwivesandchildrenwerestartingbeforetheireyes，theirhomeswere
moresqualid，andthephilosophyofthehourtaughttheupperclassesthat
tomendawindowortoputinabricktoshieldthecottagefromdampor
windwastoincreasetheultimatemiseriesofthepoor。Thesenseofsympathy
andcomradeship，whichhadbeenmixedwithrudeandunskilfulgovernment，
intheoldvillagehadbeendestroyedinthebitterdaysofwantanddistress。
Degradingandrepulsiveworkwasinventedforthosewhomthefarmerwould
notorcouldnotemploy。DeQuincey，wishingtoillustratethemannersof
eighteenth-centuryFrance，usedtoquoteM。Simond’sstoryofhowhehad
seen，notverylongbeforetheRevolution，apeasantploughingwithateam
consistingofadonkeyandawoman。TheEnglishpoorcouldhavetoldhim
thathalfacenturylatertherewereEnglishtillagesinwhichitwasthe
practiceoftheoverseertoharnessmenandwomentotheparishcart，and
thatthesightofanidiotwomanbetweentheshaftswasnotunknownwithin
ahundredmilesofLondon。(1*)Menandwomenwerelivingonrootsandsorrel；
inthesummeroftheyear1830fourharvestlabourerswerefoundundera
hedgedeadofstarvation，andLordWinchilsea，whomentionedthefactin
theHouseofLords，saidthatthiswasnotanexceptionalcase。Thelabourer
wasworsefedandworsehousedthantheprisoner，andhewouldnothavebeen
abletokeepbodyandsoultogetherifhehadnotfoundinpoachingorin
thievingorinsmugglingthemeansofekingouthisdolesandwages。
Thefeelingsofthissinkingclass，theanger，dismay，anddespairwith
whichitwatchedthegoingoutofallthewarmcomfortandlightoflife，
scarcelystirthesurfaceofhistory。Theupperclasseshavetolduswhat
thepooroughttohavethoughtofthesevicissitudes；religion，philosophy，
andpoliticaleconomywerereadywithalleviationsandexplanationswhich
seemedsingularlyhelpfulandconvincingtotherich。Thevoiceofthepoor
themselvesdoesnotcometoourears。Thisgreatpopulationseemstoresemble
nature，andtobearallthestormsthatbeatuponitwithastrangesilence
andresignation。Butjustasnaturehasherpowerofprotestinsomesudden
upheaval，sothisworldofmenandwomen——anundergroundworldaswetrace
thedistancethatitsvoiceshavetotraveltoreachus——hasavolcanic
characterofitsown，anditisonlybysomevolcanicsurprisethatitcan
speakthelanguageofremonstranceormenaceorprayer，orplaceonrecord
itsconsciousnessofwrong。ThisworldhasnomemberofParliament，nopress，
itdoesnotmakeliteratureorwritehistory；nodiaryormemoirshavekept
aliveforusthethoughtsandcaresofthepassingday。Itisforthisreason
thattheeventsofthewinterof1830havesoprofoundaninterest，forin
thescenesnowtobedescribedwehavethemindofthisclasshiddenfrom
usthroughallthisperiodofpain，burstingthesilencebytheonlypower
atitscommand。Thedemandspresentedtothefarmer，theparson，andthe
squirethiswintertellusasmuchabouttheSouthofEnglandlabourerin
1830asthecahierstellusoftheFrenchpeasantsin1789。
Wehaveseenthatin1795andin1816therehadbeenseriousdisturbances
indifferentpartsofEngland。Thesehadbeensuppressedwithafirmhand，
butduringhardwinterssporadicviolenceandblazinghay-stackshowedfrom
timetotimethatthefirewasstillaliveundertheashes。Therisingof
1830wasfarmoregeneralandmoreserious；severalcountiesinthesouth
ofEnglandwereinstateborderingoninsurrection；Londonwasinapanic，
andtosomeatle
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