Cobbett deplored this social advance. “The English farmer has of late years,” he snorted, “become a totally different character. A foxhunting horse; polished boots; a spanking trot to market; a ‘get out of my way or by G—d I’ll ride over you’ to every poor devil on the road; wine at his dinner; a servant (and sometimes in livery) to wait at his table; a painted lady for a wife; sons aping the young squires and lords; and a house crammed up with sofas, pianos and all sorts of fooleries.”

—Paul Johnson, The Birth of the Modern: World Society 1815-1830