潘恩后来又去参加了法国革命，由于反对杀人过多而为雅各宾派监禁，几乎丧命，后来再去美国，又由于反对基督教而遭人攻击，晚景凄凉。他死后却有一位志士把他的尸骨运回他的英国故乡安葬。这人的名字是威廉·科贝特（William Cobbett，1763—1835）。这又是一位散文家，而且又是一位长于论战的平民政治家。同潘恩一样，他也写得平易、有力。不过他经历了一个从保守到激进的转变过程，始终如一的则是他的英国佬个性。他的政论主要发表在他自编的《政治纪闻》周刊上，用明快有力的平易语言揭露黑暗，攻击政府，拥有广大的城乡贫民读者。他也在这个刊物上发表游记，后来这些游记集成一书，称为《骑马乡行记》（Rural Rides，1830）。后人最喜欢读的科贝特作品，就是这本游记。然而这是一种奇怪的游记。它所展开的，与其说是山水画，不如说是流民图。科贝特骑着马或坐着马车，从一个村子到一个村子，沿途看庄稼，查牛羊，问民生疾苦，作今昔对比，遇到大地主的庄园和有名无人的“烂选区”，则大声咒骂；看见秀丽山水和风流人物，又留连忘返。一到旅店，喘息未定，立刻动笔疾书，夹叙夹议，一气呵成。写出来的是这样的文字：I left Uphusband this morning at 9, and came across to this place (20 miles) in a post-chaise. Cameup the valley of Uphusband, which ends at about 6 miles from the village, and puts one out upon theWiltshire downs, which stretch away towards the West and South-west, towards Devizes and towardsSalisbury. . . . a group of women labourers, who were attending the measurers to measure theirreaping work, presented such an assemblage of rags as I never before saw even amongst the hoppers atFarnham, many of whom are common beggars. I never before saw country people, and reapers too,observe, so miserable in appearance as these. There were some very pretty girls, but ragged as coltsand as pale as ashes. The day was cold too, and frost hardly off the ground; and their blue arms andlips would have made any heart ache but that of a seat-seller or a loan-jobber.晨九时离欧卜赫斯班，坐马车来此，行程二十英里。经过河谷，至离村六英里处又入丘陵地带，碧草如茵的坡地向正西及西南方翻滚而去，直达德怀士与索氏贝利二城。……路遇许多农妇在等人验收其所割的麦子，她们衣衫褴褛，穿得不如法南姆打草的乞丐，庄稼人在收获季节情况如此之惨，还是初次见到。其中不乏十分秀美的姑娘，也是满身补丁，脸如死灰。天冷，霜重，这些女孩子的手臂和嘴唇都冻得发紫，任何人见了都要心痛，只有那些卖官鬻爵、买空卖空之徒才会无动于衷。
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