I: The role of authority -- The end of the beginning -- Publishing by authority -- Defying authority -- The sounds of silence dogood -- Science, sex, and super crown soap -- The end of authority -- II: The approach of war -- Severing the snake -- "The Weekly dung barge" -- The Tory dung barge -- The shot spread 'cross the page -- Uncommon prose -- A sword of a different kind -- III: The tumult of peace -- The passionate decade -- The not-so-unlikely target -- The Gazette ... -- ...versus the Gazette -- Dark whispers on the page -- "The arising vapour" -- Cobbett's quills -- Sedition -- Master and mistress -- Post-script -- Renewed subscriptions.