as I shot up into a hobble-dehoy...
Coloured sepia etching. 
From ‘The Life of William Cobbett - written by himself’, a set of eight coloured sepia etchings by and after James Gillray, nd
Originally published by J Humphrey, 27 St James’s Street, London, 29 Sep 1809.
Republished, 1816 (c).

The set forms a satire against Cobbett’s account of his own army career. This image shows him enlisting into the 54th (West Norfolk) Regiment of Foot at Chatham by mistake to escape a paternity suit in 1783 , despite having intended to join the Royal Marines instead. He served with the regiment for eight years and was discharged with the rank of Sergeant Major.