nspired in those with whom he came
into contact, that Messrs Fort consented to leave to these untried young
men a large portion of their capital in the business. Nor was their
confidence misplaced. The new firm had soon three establishments,--one
at Sabden, where the printing works were, one in London and one in
Manchester for the sale of their goods. This last was under the direct
management of Cobden, who, in 1830 or 1831, settled in the city with
which his name became afterwards so closely associated. The success of
this enterprise was decisive and rapid, and the "Cobden prints" soon
became known through the country as of rare value both for excellence of
material and beauty of design. There can be no doubt that if Cobden had
been satisfied to devote all his energies to commercial life he might
soon have attained to great opulence, for it is understood that his
share in the profits of the business he had established amounted to from
L8000 to L10,000 a year. But he had other tastes, which impelled him
irresistibly to pursue those studies which, as Bacon says, "serve for
delight, for ornament and for ability." Prentice, the historian of the
Anti-Corn-Law League, who was then editor of the _Manchester Times_,
describes how, in the year 1835, he received for publication in his
paper a series of admirably written letters, under the signature of
"Libra," discussing commercial and economical questions with rare
ability. After some time he discovered that the author of these letters
was Cobden, whose name was until then quite unknown to him.

In 1835 he published his first pamphlet, entitled _England, Ireland and
America, by a Manchester Manufacturer_. It attracted great attention,
and ran rapidly through several editions. It was marked by a breadth and
boldness of views on political and social questions which betokened an
original mind. In this production Cobden advocated the same principles
of peace, non-intervention, retrenchment and free trade to which he
continued faithful to the last day of his life. Immediately after the
publication of this pamphlet, he paid a visit to the United States,
landing in New York on the 7th of June 1835. He devoted about three
months to this tour, passing rapidly through the seaboard states and the
adjacent portion of Canada, and collecting as he went large stores of
information respecting the condition, resources and prospects of the
great western republic. Soon after his return to England